PCAC Quarterly Report
July - September 2000
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- Long Island Rail Road Commuters' Council
- Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council
- New York City Transit Riders Council
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC)
PCAC Weighs in on US EPA Diesel Standards Proposals
During the quarter, the PCAC gave its support to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards proposal and
related Highway Diesel Sulfur Control Requirements proposal. The EPA aims
to foster better ambient air quality by setting more stringent standards
for both engine manufacturers and fuel refiners.
The PCAC is well aware of the need to clean up emissions in metropolitan areas such as New York's and is mindful of the link between diesel emissions and increased childhood asthma risks. In written comments on the proposals, the PCAC urged EPA not to give in to assertions by fuel refiners, voiced at a public hearing earlier in the year, that the standards would prove costly and technically unfeasible for vehicle manufacturers. The PCAC noted that major vehicle manufacturing industry groups voiced strong support for the requirements at the same hearing.
PCAC Comments on Proposed Federal Planning Guidelines
The PCAC also commented on revised metropolitan transportation planning
guidelines proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The PCAC
agreed with the requirement, included in the National Environmental and
Policy Act and Related Procedures for Transportation Decisionmaking proposal,
that the U.S. DOT retain the last word in determining the specific alternatives
of transportation projects to be analyzed for environmental impacts.
The PCAC also agreed with a requirement included in the Statewide/Metroplitan Transportation Planning proposal to require metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)the agencies that disburse most federal transportation funds to urban areasto consult with transit users when establishing regional plans.
However, the PCAC strongly urged the U.S. DOT to require MPOs to include rider representatives on their governing boards. Although many MPOs feel that the inclusion of citizen board members would be inappropriate since local elected officials sit on MPO boards, the PCAC noted that if the argument were taken to its logical conclusion, representatives of transit and highway agencies, themselves not elected officials, would also have to be denied board membership.
PCAC Discusses 2000-2019 MTA Capital Needs Assessment, State Transportation
Bond Act
In September, the PCAC welcomed MTA Grants Director Gregory Kullberg and
Planning Director William Wheeler to discuss the MTA 2000-2019 Capital
Needs Assessment. The document details the theoretical funding needs for
all projects desired by MTA agencies. The Council criticized the document
for neither establishing project priority nor contingency plans in the
event of funding shortfalls.
Individually, the PCAC's affiliated Councils also discussed New York State Transportation Bond Act referendum. The Act sought to authorize more than $3.8 billion in borrowing for highway and transit projects, with almost half of the amount going to the MTA to support the 2000-2004 capital program. As a whole, the PCAC expressed concerns over the increased debt burden which the Act would generate, and criticized the MTA for not elucidating contingency plans should the act fail. Individually, the Act received formal support from the MNRCC and the NYCTRC. The LIRRCC remained neutral.
PCAC Continues Participation in MTA Planning Studies
The PCAC continued to participate in advisory committee meetings
for all major MTA and agency transit studies throughout the quarter. The
PCAC reviewed and commented on the final report of the Long Island City
Transportation Improvement Study, as well as the final scoping document
of the LaGuardia Airport Subway Access study. The PCAC commented at length
on the LIC report. The report, released after years of delay, was found
to be poorly written and included stale data and erroneous information.
The release of the report was prompted by a stern request from the Federal
Transit Administration made earlier in 2000 for the MTA to submit final
documents on moribund planning studies.
PCAC Receives Partial Response on "Mixed Signals" Report
The PCAC received a partial response from the MTA regarding its Spring
report on MTA customer communications practices, Mixed
Signals. Thomas Savage, NYC Transit senior vice-presidentMetroCard
Operations, informed the PCAC that Transit was considering ways to communicate
electronically with customers should the MTA-wide ban on public email
ever be lifted. Acceptance of customer e-mails, as is done by many other
major transit agencies, was one of the report's main suggestions. The
response followed a letter sent to MTA Chairman E. Virgil Conway asking
for the MTA's appraisal of the report and its conclusions.
Long Island Rail Road Commuters' Council (LIRRCC)
Council Helps Successfully Block Proposed Greenlawn Train Yard
After much public protest, led in good measure by Council Chair Lawrence
Silverman, the railroad scrapped plans to examine the feasibility of constructing
a train yard in Greenlawn. The Council acknowledges that the railroad
is in need of new yard facilities to meet the needs of a growing ridership
and increasing fleet, problems which will become critical when the East
Side Access connection to Grand Central Terminal opens in 2010. However,
the Council felt the addition of a rail yard would represent an unpleasant
industrial burden in an otherwise overwhelmingly residential area of Greenlawn.
Other potential yard sites remain under consideration by the railroad.
Council Meets with LIRR Staff on Parking, Equipment Issues
In July, the Council discussed parking issues with LIRR Parking Program
Director Kevin Rush. The railroad is in the midst of a parking improvement
program, including rehabilitation of old lots and construction of new
facilities, where possible, which added 2,200 new or improved spaces during
the 1995-1999 capital plan. The program continues in the current capital
plan with a projected additional 1,300 new and 3,200 rehabilitated parking
spaces by 2004.
In September, the Council welcomed Charles Kalkhof, LIRR chief mechanical officerMaintenance of Equipment, and Mark Sullivan, general managerFleet Supervision, to discuss fleet issues. Messrs. Kalkhof and Sullivan described railroad efforts to eliminate HVAC problems and improve rehabilitation procedures. The Council also questioned the officials on continuing technical problems with the new diesel fleet, including technical problems on bi-level coaches and a spate of diesel locomotive fires. Messrs. Kalkhof and Sullivan assured the Council that the issues are being monitored by the railroad.
East End Diesel Service Lacking, Council Seeks Improvement
During the quarter, the Council wrote to the railroad to voice its desire
for an increase in service to eastern Suffolk County. Currently, residents
east of Ronkonkoma and Babylon are served by as few as three trains per
day in each direction, even though East End population has steadily grown
over the past 20 years. It is the opinion of the railroad that increases
in East End diesel service must wait until the East Side Access connection
with Grand Central helps ease constraints along the railroad caused by
capacity limitations at Penn Station. However, the Council would like
some East End alternatives to be examined now, including double-tracking
and possibilities for rail or bus shuttle services.
Council Monitors Development of Forthcoming Electric Railcars, Ticket
Vending Machines
During the quarter, members and staff had the opportunity to participate
in customer focus groups regarding the interior design elements of the
railroad's forthcoming M7 electric railcar and view a full-scale mockup.
The Council looks forward to the new cars, which will include improved
lighting, seating, bathrooms, as well as modern braking systems and electronic
information readouts similar to those installed on bi-level diesel coaches.
The new cars are expected to begin to enter revenue service in 2002.
Members and staff were also given a hands-on introduction to advanced-technology Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs). Similar to new MetroCard Vending Machines, the TVMs will allow customers to perform transactions on an ATM-style video touch screen and offer an ease of use not possible with the railroad's current, 1980s-era vending machines. The Council was assured that the new machines, scheduled to arrive during 2001, are adequately durable for outdoor installation. However, the railroad noted that all outdoor machines will be installed under a special awning enclosure.
Council Staff Attends Popular "Meet the President" Events
Council staff attended a series of "Meet the President" events held by
acting LIRR President Kenneth Bauer at Penn Station and Flatbush Avenue.
At the events, Mr. Bauer and LIRR staff spoke personally with commuters
about railroad service. The events were well-received by riders, and are
an example of the openness to customer concerns which the Council feels
that Mr. Bauer has brought to the railroad. The Council has officially
asked MTA Chairman E. Virgil Conway to be included in the decision to
choose a permanent president for the railroad.
Cell Phone, Passholder Problems Continue to Vex Riders
During the quarter, Council members continued to note a rising trend in
discourteous cell phone usage by customers. In addition, the Council discussed
regular incidents of LIRR employees and other free passholders refusing
to relinquish seats to paying riders, as required by MTA regulations governing
the use of free passes. The railroad has repeatedly declined Council requests
to take decisive action against these problems, beyond occasional onboard
announcements. However, in the opinion of the Council, these problems
merit inclusion in a major customer conduct campaign, similar to the Council's
own 1999 "Happy Rails to You" campaign, which dealt with similar issues.
Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council (MNRCC)
Council Discusses Customer Service Issues with Departmental Director
In July, the Council welcomed Thomas Tendy, Metro-North directorCustomer
Services. Mr. Tendy summarized major departmental activities since the
beginning of his tenure as director in 1997, including changes in training
practices, improved computerization of information, and the opening of
the railroad's flagship customer service center in the Graybar Building,
adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. The Council agreed with the current
departmental practice of rating customer information representatives by
the quality of information given rather than by the number of customers
helped, as was done formerly.
Council Explores Creation of Adjudication Bureau for Right-of-Way,
Onboard Offenses
During the quarter, the Council began an investigation into possibilities
for the creation of a single, state-mandated adjudication bureau to deal
with crimes committed onboard trains and along the right-of-way, including
dumping, graffiti, and other types of vandalism. The Council is exploring
an adjudication bureau as a way to overcome the existing difficulties
in prosecuting offenders caused by the current legal necessity to prosecute
offenders in individual localities. A similar adjudication bureau has
been operated successfully to deal with offenses committed on NYC Transit
property for many years. The idea for a Metro-North adjudication bureau
arose from a discussion with George Walker, Metro-North vice-presidentOperations,
and John Wagner, director-Maintenance of Way, at the Council's August
meeting.
ACMU 1100 Issues Ongoing, Council Continues to Monitor
Throughout the quarter, the Council continued to experience problems
with ACMU 1100 railcars, the oldest in the Metro-North fleet. Originally
planned to be scrapped, unexpectedly strong ridership gains have required
that the railroad keep the cars in revenue service until replacements
arrive in mid-2004. However, the cars suffer from frequent public address
and air conditioning breakdowns, and Council members note that train crews
rarely make verbal station announcements when PA systems are out of order.
The railroad has assured the Council that every effort will be made to
keep the cars in good working order until they are finally retired. Even
so, problems continue. The Council will remain vigilant on the matter
until the cars are finally able to be removed from revenue service.
Railroad, Council Disagree on E-mail
In July, the MNRCC took issue with a decision by Metro-North not to honor
a Council request to ask customers for their e-mail addresses on the railroad's
customer survey forms. The railroad is constrained by an MTA policy barring
electronic communications with the public. However, the Council feels
that having such information on hand in advance would be an asset to Metro-North
should the policy change. The Council and the PCAC in general have long
criticized the policy, which places the MTA behind many other major transit
agencies which have accepted customer emails for several years.
Members, Staff Tour Grand Central Upholstery Shop
In July, members and staff went on a tour of Metro-North's Grand Central
Terminal upholstery shop by John Walpole, general manager Maintenance
of Equipment. Annually, the shop replaces older seats in 48 railcars with
new, flame-retardant materials and stronger support systems. The Council
thanked shop staff for their efforts which combat the formerly prevalent
and uncomfortable problem of "sit-through" cushion support failures.
New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC)
Council Hits Home Run in the Bronx: 2/5 Service Changes Benched
Bowing to widespread public and political opposition spearheaded by the
NYCTRC, NYC Transit decided to shelve a plan to switch 2/5 service in
the Bronx. Although proposed as a strategy to overcome longstanding track
switching and merging challenges at 180th Street, the changes would have
meant decreased peak service for central Bronx residents and longer commutes
for Dyre Avenue 5 riders. Upon learning of the plan, the Council alerted
Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and other local officials of its
impacts, mobilizing the groundswell of opposition that led to the plan's
defeat.
Council Releases Subway Reliability Report, Grand Debate Follows
In August, the Council released its quadrennial examination of subway
service reliability to wide media attention. The report, Timing
Is Everything, found significant peak-hour reliability problems on
several heavily used lines including virtually all IRT (numbered) lines.
The report also criticized an NYC Transit plan to adopt a new measure
of reliability called "wait assessment". In the opinion of the Council,
the new measure would not reflect the experience of riders and would artificially
inflate reliability figures when no real change had occurred.
The Council's concerns were echoed by other local voices, including the New York Times, the Daily News, the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign, and some members of the New York City Council. The Council and the Straphangers Campaign jointly signed a letter to the MTA Inspector General asking for an analysis of the proposed measure. NYC Transit President Lawrence Reuter agreed to meet with the NYCTRC to discuss possible alternatives to wait assessment in the upcoming quarter.
Council Discusses Major Station Rehab Projects with NYCT Staff
In July, the Council met with Joseph Trainor, NYC Transit project manager-
Escalators , Elevators, and Major Facilities, and other Transit officials
and contractors, to discuss rehabilitation activities at Atlantic Terminal,
Times Square, and 72nd Street/Broadway. Members and staff queried Transit
officials on all three projects regarding measures taken to alleviate
customer crowding and flow issues during construction activities, keep
riders informed, and minimize service impacts. The Council previously
discussed these projects with Mr. Trainor in May.
New Chair of NYC Transit Committee of MTA Board, Barry Feinstein,
Meets with Council
In September, the Council welcomed Barry Feinstein, longtime MTA Board
member and new chairman of the Board's NYC Transit Committee. Members
discussed a variety of issues with Mr. Feinstein, but of primary concern
were the introduction of articulated bus service on the M79 and M86 crosstown
routes in Manhattan, and the State Transportation Bond Act.
The long articulated buses offer greater capacity for riders. However, they have elicited concerns over their viability under Manhattan traffic conditions and complaints that service levels were reduced, lengthening waiting times. The Council resolved to perform a field survey of the reliability of the new buses in the following quarter.
The Council also expressed concerns that the Bond Act, while promising funding for major transit projects including initial monies for a full-length Second Avenue subway, would represent a dangerously heavy debt burden. Ultimately, the Council resolved to support the measure.
Council Monitors In-Service Test of New IRT Trains
During the quarter, the Council monitored the introduction of the first
two of 108 new-technology R142 and R142A trains into revenue-service testing
on the 2 and 6 lines. The trains, which feature roomier interiors, improved
lighting and air conditioning, electronic information readouts, automated
announcements, and emergency intercoms, were well-received by riders.
The Council sent a letter to Transit querying the agency about the low
volume level of the automated announcements and legibility of exterior
LCD displays. Transit informed the Council that announcement volume was
being varied to determine the most convenient level and that all electronic
signage met legibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
Diversion Information Problems Reported for Ninth Quarter in a Row
As has been reported many times previously, the Council yet again observed
problems with the dissemination of useful and accurate subway service
diversion information. In the most serious incident, diversion notices
were misplaced, incorrect, or absent for a major weekend Broadway N/R
line diversion affecting Brooklyn and Manhattan. Notices in Manhattan
informed N/R customers to take the number 4 at Canal Street to reach Brooklyn.
However, Canal Street is a local station not served by the express 4 train.
Worse, at 59th Street/Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, diversion notices intended to inform customers that southbound local R service was running only from the northbound express track were posted solely on the northbound platform useless to hundreds of riders transferring from the N on the southbound platform. When informed of the error, station staff denied responsibility and refused to change the signs. Upon a complaint made by Council Associate Director Michael Doyle, NYC Transit formally apologized for the errors and informed the Council that disciplinary action would be considered for the staff in question.
