PCAC Quarterly Report
April - June 2002
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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 Says Farewell to
LIRRCC and MNRCC Members
The PCAC said a fond farewell to LIRRCC and MNRCC members Skip Meise and
Jon Pessah and MNRCC member George Begany, all of whom resigned for personal
reasons. Skip Meise served on the LIRRCC for more than 15 years and Jon
for one year. George Begany served on the MNRCC for 18 years. They will
be missed.
PCAC Welcomes Former Member
Steve Lofthouse
The PCAC and MNRCC welcomed back Stephen Lofthouse representing Rockland
County. Mr. Lofthouse was originally appointed to the MNRCC in 1983. He
resigned after several years to work for Metro-North as Manager- West
of Hudson Services. Mr. Lofthouse is a professor of Geology and Physical
sciences at Pace University.
Changes in PCAC MTA Board Representation
Andrew Albert replaced Executive Director Beverly Dolinsky as the NYCTRC’s
representative on the MTA Board. The New York State Senate confirmed Mr.
Albert on June 18. Ms. Dolinsky very ably represented bus and subway riders
on the MTA Board for almost seven years.
Due to added personal and work related responsibilities, Rich Cataggio
withdrew his name from consideration as the MNRCC representative on the
MTA Board. At their May meeting, the MNRCC members selected Jim Blair
to be recommended to Governor Pataki for appointment as their representative.
Until Mr. Blair is confirmed, Ronnie Ackman will continue to represent
the Council.
PCAC Urges Consideration of "City Ticket"
Recognizing that there are many areas of New York City not well served
by New York City Transit, which are better served by Long Island Rail
Road and Metro-North Railroad, the PCAC wrote to MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow
urging consideration of a "City Ticket." The proposal is for
the railroads to reduce the price of weekday non rush hour and reverse
commute trips entirely within NYC to the prevailing transit fare or the
prevailing transit fare with a small premium. This "City Ticket would
allow customers to use the best mode of transportation to get them to
their destination within the City.
(In July, Ms. Dolinsky met with Mr. Kalikow to discuss this proposal
and other issues. In August, the PCAC received a letter from Chairman
Kalikow stating that the MTA and railroads are reviewing this proposal
and will respond to the Committee.)
MTA Executive Director Katherine Lapp Addresses
Members at June Meeting
Ms. Lapp expressed her appreciation for the work and role of the PCAC
in representing the interests of MTA riders. Then Ms. Lapp focused her
remarks on Lower Manhattan. She spoke about her gratitude to all MTA employees
for their tremendous effort on 9/11/01 and the ensuing months. Ms. Lapp
said that the N/R Cortlandt Street station would open soon and that the
1/9 Rector and South Ferry stations would be ready for service by October.
Ms. Lapp described the three major projects the MTA wants to build downtown.
They are: the Rector Connector, Broadway/Nassau – Fulton St. Transportation
Center and reconfiguration of the South Ferry station.
PCAC Focuses on Lower Manhattan Transportation
During the quarter Ms. Dolinsky and staff attended Transportation and
Commuters’ Advisory Committee meetings of the Lower Manhattan Development
Corporation and the Civic Alliance. The PCAC is concerned about spending
$250 million to study providing a one-seat ride to Lower Manhattan since
the MTA already conducted a study of Metro-North access to downtown. That
study determined that it did not make sense in terms of cost/benefit and
that it would be better to enhance railroad to subway connections at Grand
Central Terminal.
PCAC Forms Standing Committees
The PCAC formed standing committees made up of representatives of the
three councils to discuss and take regional positions in a number of areas.
The committees will meet as events warrant discussion. The committees
are as follows: Car Design and Maintenance, Financial Resources, Intermodal
Facilities, Liaison with Other Advocacy Organizations, More Seamless Service,
Publicity and Press Relations, Rebuilding Downtown, Regional Fare Policy
Collection and Standardization, Regional Legislative Initiatives, Safety,
and Station Design and Maintenance.
Long Island Rail Road Commuters Council (LIRRCC)
LIRRCC Members Complete Report Card Collection
In its annual rite of spring, members handed out and collected approximately
1200 report cards for the Sixteenth Annual Report Card Survey. Staff will
tabulate the results and a report will be released in the fall.
Council Suggestions Implemented by LIRR
Two recent Council suggestions have been implemented by the LIRR. A train
information monitor listing departures has been installed in the 34 Street
corridor for customers using that entrance. Contact information listing
responsible entities for parking lot ownership and operation has been
posted at LIRR stations so that customers know who to get in touch with.
LIRRCC Calls on Amtrak to Replace Fire Safety
Manager in Penn
The Council sent a letter to Amtrak President David Gunn urging him to
replace the Fire Safety Manager in Penn Station and expressing their concern
that issues and problems would fall between the cracks without a single
point person. When the Fire Safety Manager retired Amtrak decided to divide
the responsibilities of that position among four people, one of whom is
located in Delaware.
Jim McGovern Pursues Widening Staircase at Penn
LIRRCC member Jim McGovern met with Seymour Portes, NYC Transit program
manager – Capital Program Management, about widening the narrow staircase
at the south end of the 1 local downtown platform at Penn Station. Mr.
McGovern learned that Amtrak owns the adjacent space, which could be used
to widen the staircase and that a design for widening the staircase was
completed years ago. Mr. Portes said that he would look into expediting
the process.
Council Concerned about Difficulty Using Police
Emergency Telephone Numbers
The Council expressed concern that the emergency telephone numbers to
reach the police that are posted on the timetables are not answered in
a timely manner. Staff has been calling these numbers to measure how long
it takes for a response. Suggestions will be made based on their results.
Escalators Moving in the Wrong Direction at
Penn Remain a Problem
LIRRCC member Jerry Shagam has been keeping a report on escalators in
the Eighth Avenue corridor at Penn during the PM peak. So far the record
has been dismal. Instead of going down, more often than not, the escalators
are moving up. The LIRR posted stickers at escalators warning that it
is a violation to tamper with the escalators. Uniform and plain-clothed
police have been stationed near the escalators to discourage unauthorized
use and Amtrak employees have been notified that MTA police will issue
summonses to anyone interfering with the escalators.
Council Discusses LITP 2000, Penn Station Redevelopment
and LIRR Schedules
The Long Island Transportation Plan 2000 consultants discussed their findings
and proposed plan for relieving traffic congestion on Long Island at the
Council’s April meeting. In May, Michael Royce, acting president
– Penn Station Redevelopment, presented the plans for converting
the Main Post Office into a new station for Amtrak, New Jersey Transit
and the LIRR. In June, Dave Sumner, LIRR general manager – Customer
Quality & Service Planning described how LIRR schedules are made and
the constraints in Penn Station.
Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council (MNRCC)
Steve Lofthouse Reappointed to Council
The Council was delighted to welcome Steve Lofthouse who again represents
Rockland County. Steve, a transit buff, is very interested in and knowledgeable
about transportation issues. He replaced George Zoebelein who passed away
last year.
John Vonglis Resigns
John Vonglis, a resident of New Rochelle, who was appointed to the MNRCC
in January to replace Martin Goldstein, resigned due to a job relocation.
Mr. Vonglis is working for the Bush administration in Washington, D.C.
as an Under Secretary of Defense.
Broken Car Seats a Continuing Problem
Council Vice Chair Jim Blair and Associate Director Kate Brower met with
Metro-North personnel to discuss the problems and remedies for broken
car seats. Metro-North has developed a fix to prevent the seat foam from
pushing through the frame. All new seats will have this "J"
hook mechanism on two sides and the fitting is also being installed on
old seats. Mr. Blair remains concerned that unless the seat bladders are
attached on all four sides the problem will continue. Mr. Blair promises
to keep monitoring the seat situation.
Council Persists in Quest to Have Lexington
Avenue Doors Fixed
The Council continued in its quest to have the Lexington Avenue doors
to Grand Central Terminal repaired. The door project has been officially
designated a capital project with the passing of the MTA’s most recent
Capital Program Amendment. MNR is working out an agreement with S L Green
and hopefully the repairs can begin.
Council Welcomes Howard Permut to April Meeting
At the April meeting, members heard from MNR Senior Vice President –
Planning & Development Howard Permut about the railroad’s plans
for parking and station access, service improvements, and capital projects.
Mr. Permut told the Council that the biggest obstacles facing ridership
growth are parking and station access. MNR has instituted many new initiatives,
such as feeder bus and ferry service, to provide alternative access to
stations.
Mr. Permut mentioned that Metro-North has experienced problems with the
new Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs). The manufacturer is working on a software
solution for the machines credit/debit capabilities.
Donna Evans, MNR Director- Corporate & Media
Relations Addresses Council
At their May meeting members heard from Donna Evans about the railroad’s
rider communication efforts. Corporate & Media Relations produces
Mileposts, Mileposts West and Outposts. The Spanish version of Outposts,
the publication for reverse riders, has been well received. Metro-North’s
courtesy campaign has been a success and the railroad plans to continue
the posters and customer courtesy corner in its publications. Ms. Evans
also mentioned the special hot car telephone number to report air-conditioning
problems quickly, another successful Metro-North effort.
New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC)
NYS Assembly Resolution Honors Steve Dobrow
Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan and twenty-five assembly members on March
11, 2002 granted a New York State Assembly resolution honoring the life
of Steve Dobrow and his valuable contribution to public transportation.
This resolution is a fitting tribute for Steve’s untiring efforts.
Annual Bus Forum a Success in The Bronx
On Tuesday, May 7, the Council held its Annual Bus forum in the Bronx
for the first time. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. addressed
the participants and audience about a number of bus problems in the borough
including service along East Gun Hill Road and improved information about
Access-A-Ride. Twenty-eight speakers expressed their views about bus service
to senior officials from New York City Transit, the New York City Department
of Transportation and the New York Police Department.
Members and Staff Survey Subway Directional
Signage
During the quarter members and staff reviewed directional signage in 106
subway stations. This was conducted as a follow up to similar 1987 and
1997 surveys. Members were reporting misinformation particularly with
the number of recent service changes so the decision was made to reexamine
the state of signage. A report of the findings will be released at the
end of the summer.
Executive Director Meets with Top Bus Managers
Beverly Dolinsky met with NYC Transit Senior Vice President Millard Seay
and Jennifer Sinclair, NYCT chief transportation officer – Buses,
to discuss the status of the Automatic Vehicle Location & Control
System (AVLC) project. The project has been renamed the Service Management
Customer Information (SMCI) Project. Ms. Dolinsky has been long concerned
about his project because knowing when the next bus will arrive is so
important to riders. Mr. Seay said that the complexity of implementing
a system with the density and height of New York City buildings and the
requirement of updating the system every 30 seconds has posed enormous
problems and delays. London’s system uses a signpost technology that
is revised every three minutes.
Andrew Albert Meets with MTA Chairman and Larry
Reuter to Discuss V Service
Council Chair Andrew Albert met with MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow and NYC
Transit President Larry Reuter about the V service. His message was that
in spite of what its detractors are saying, the V is performing as anticipated.
Mr. Albert outlined the Council’s concerns about the V service and
suggested that Transit give the V more time before making any changes
to the current plan. The V will be extended to Brooklyn when the Bergen
Street switch is rebuilt in 2004 and new cars are in service. Transit
is planning an extensive marketing campaign targeting riders to use the
V into Manhattan, as the ride is only five minutes longer than E service.
Mr. Albert was also told that the NYCT Capital Program Management reviewed
options for constructing a G terminal at Queens Plaza and determined that
it would be very expensive to build.
Council Learns about Transit’s Traffic
Checking Operations
At the Council’s March meeting, James Leopard, NYCT senior director
- Traffic Checking Operations, spoke about his unit’s data collection
activities. He said the information they collect is used to determine
bus and subway schedules, route and system planning, schedule adherence,
and to measure environmental conditions. Mr. Leopard said his top priority
has been to upgrade and expand the training program for his employees
as a majority of the checkers work part time and turnover is very high.
Customer Service Communication Subject of April
Meeting
In April, the Council learned about procedures for making announcements
on subways from Termaine Garden, NYCT Rapid Transit Operations, director
– Customer Service Communication. Mr. Garden said that a rigorous
training program has been established for all subway employees who have
direct contact with the riding public. Routine station announcements must
include the name of the station, the train number or letter, the direction
of the train including reference to the next borough, transfer options
at the current station, and the name of the next station on the route.
A decal with scripts for delay problems and instructions on frequency
of announcements is posted for reference in the conductor’s cab.
Council Hears about Crowd Control Initiatives
At the May meeting, John Gaul, NYCT Rapid Transit Operations – assistant
chief transportation officer, spoke about NYC Transit’s crowd control
initiatives. Many of these initiatives, such as the Step Aside markings
on platforms, additional platform assistants, the Sick Customer Response
program and enhanced police coverage were implemented as part of the 1998
Lenox Invert project. Mr. Gaul said these initiatives have been continued
and expanded to other parts of the system because of their proven track
record in improving service reliability. He stressed that customer communication
and coordination efforts with other departments are critical to the success
of these programs.
