10 Open Gangway Prototype Cars and Junius–Livonia Free Transfer Part of the Revised Capital Program

[Union Tpke]

 

 

MTA approves refurbishment plan, but questions remain

MTA chairman Tom Prendergast, left, on the 7 line. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit)

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a program Wednesday to refurbish the region’s mass transit system, after scaling back the cost of the program at the insistence of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The good news is that the program was approved at all, after a very public dispute between the governor and Mayor Bill de Blasio over the city's share of responsibility for funding the MTA. But the plan leaves many questions unanswered, containing unexplained “efficiencies” and unknown sources of funding.

MTA chairman Tom Prendergast hailed the board vote and then, when pressed on the plan's vagaries, told board members that funding a $29 billion capital program is a process that must be tackled one step at a time.

“If you want to win the steeplechase, you walk the course ahead of time so you know what the hazards are,” said Prendergast. “But when you actually start to steeplechase — I just know this from experience — you have to concentrate on the hazard that’s in front of you, because if you lose that hazard, you lose the race.”

 

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(Prendergast later explained that he did steeplechase in “senior gym.”)

The MTA’s journey to a fully funded capital program has been long and contentious. Last September, the board approved a $32 billion plan with a $15 billion hole. Then, Cuomo put $1 billion toward the program in his executive budget, and the MTA, which he controls, somehow identified $2.4 billion in additional resources. Finally, Cuomo promised to increase his contribution to $8.3 billion, and, following an extraordinarily heated dispute between Cuomo and de Blasio in which Prendergast weighed in forcefully on the governor's side, the mayor increased his contribution to $2.5 billion.

How each side will come up with those funds remains unclear.

So, too, do the details surrounding some of the MTA’s cost-cutting measures.

On Wednesday, the MTA said that it had put off some work that it no longer considered as urgent as it once did, like repainting the Whitestone Bridge.

The program also cuts $1 billion in funding from the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway up to 125th Street, to just $535 million.

“The balance of the work necessary for operation will be funded in future capital programs,” the revised capital program reads.

In sum, “efficiencies” and “reductions” will result in $1.3 billion in cuts from New York City Transit subways and buses, $285 million from Long Island Rail Road, $232 million from Metro-North Railroad, and $200 million from bridges and tunnels.

The MTA said that it would cut its spending on escalators and elevators 15 percent by extending their lifecycles, and that it would cut 15 percent from its spending on station component repairs.

The plan does include several system improvements, including some that the city asked for as part of its negotiations with the state and MTA over funding.

It includes a physical connection between the L train stop at Livonia Avenue and the 3 train at Junius Street in central Brooklyn, where de Blasio wants to build a lot more housing.

“There’s recognition that if there’s going to be development out there, we need to be able to provide enhanced connectivity through the system,” said Prendergast.

The plan includes new subway cars, including two prototype "open gangway" cars.

The program will also install better signals on the tracks, make the Times Square station more wheelchair accessible, and provide the final funding for a new Long Island Rail Road station beneath Grand Central Terminal.

It also funds a study looking into extending the Utica Avenue subway in Brooklyn, a de Blasio priority.

According to the mayor's administration, the plan funds $300 million in de Blasio priorities, including improvements to the Flushing Main Street station on the 7 line, the Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer station on the E, J, Z lines, among several others.

The MTA declined to comment on the $300 million estimate.

“This represents a new model of cooperation between the City and State in ensuring that New Yorkers have a reliable, effective, and safe transit system,” de Blasio said in a statement.

In a question-and-answer session after the board meeting, a reporter asked Prendergast what assurances he had that, should the governor fund his contribution to the capital program with debt, riders wouldn't pay the price for that debt with more fare hikes.

“It was pretty clear in that discussion that they either hold the debt or we hold the debt,” said Prendergast. “But if we hold the debt, the responsibility for the principal and interest stays with the state. That was very clear.”

In November, the MTA will submit the plan to the state's capital plan review board for approval.

“There are all sorts of reasons to despair that the federal money won’t come through, or the state won’t try and stick it to the MTA with extra costs,” said the Straphangers Campaign’s Gene Russianoff. “There’s a parade of horribles, but as a plan it’s good.”

You can see the MTA briefing materials here: http://politi.co/1MUpog1

open gangway" cars.

The program will also install better signals on the tracks, make the Times Square station more wheelchair accessible, and provide the final funding for a new Long Island Rail Road station beneath Grand Central Terminal.

It also funds a study looking into extending the Utica Avenue subway in Brooklyn, a de Blasio priority.

According to the mayor's administration, the plan funds $300 million in de Blasio priorities, including improvements to the Flushing Main Street station on the 7 line, the Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer station on the E, J, Z lines, among several others.

The MTA declined to comment on the $300 million estimate.

“This represents a new model of cooperation between the City and State in ensuring that New Yorkers have a reliable, effective, and safe transit system,” de Blasio said in a statement.

In a question-and-answer session after the board meeting, a reporter asked Prendergast what assurances he had that, should the governor fund his contribution to the capital program with debt, riders wouldn't pay the price for that debt with more fare hikes.

“It was pretty clear in that discussion that they either hold the debt or we hold the debt,” said Prendergast. “But if we hold the debt, the responsibility for the principal and interest stays with the state. That was very clear.”

In November, the MTA will submit the plan to the state's capital plan review board for approval.

“There are all sorts of reasons to despair that the federal money won’t come through, or the state won’t try and stick it to the MTA with extra costs,” said the Straphangers Campaign’s Gene Russianoff. “There’s a parade of horribles, but as a plan it’s good.”

You can see the MTA briefing materials here: http://politi.co/1MUpog1

Screen Shot 2015-10-28 at 7.01.52 PM by spicker613, on Flickr

http://web.mta.info/capital/pdf/CapitalProgram2015-19_WEB%20v4%20FINAL_small.pdf

[Mysterious2train]

Here are some other big changes/additions with this revision that the article doesn't mention:

 

- CBTC on 6th Av being postponed in favor of CBTC on 8th Av 

- Funding for Bus Rapid Transit on Staten Island's North Shore

- Funding for the LIRR Main Line 3rd track (Just kidding, never in our lifetimes)

 

Here's a brief overview of all the changes between the original proposal and this revision.

[R3216068E]

Well I'm glad the is trying their best at improving the subway system I'm especially glad that they're finally working on a connection between the and the at the liviona stop it's definitely a pain to have to pay again when I'm transferring to the to the when I'm trying to get to Crown Hieghts.

[Around the Horn]

The Junius-Livonia connection is interesting but the 110 CNG Artic procurement really caught my eye...Artics for JG and WF.Would love to see what ENY knows about the capital program.

[Joel Up Front]

Weren't the old D-types very similar to these "open gangway" cars?

[trainfan22]

l wonder if the open gangway cars be another R11, R110 type of ordeal? 

[Union Tpke]

Here are some other big changes/additions with this revision that the article doesn't mention:

 

- CBTC on 6th Av being postponed in favor of CBTC on 8th Av 

- Funding for Bus Rapid Transit on Staten Island's North Shore

- Funding for the LIRR Main Line 3rd track (Just kidding, never in our lifetimes)

 

Here's a brief overview of all the changes between the original proposal and this revision.

they should not have BRT ON THE NORTH SHORE!

HAVE HEAVY RAIL OR AT LEAST LIGHT RAIL!

[bobtehpanda]

Rail on the North Shore is just some sort of weird modal hard-on; with the way all the buses feed into the Ferry system, it makes way more sense for buses to go direct to the Ferry via the ROW, rather than build a rail line that will be free like the rest of the SIR and force people to take a bus + rail + ferry.

[Union Tpke]

Rail on the North Shore is just some sort of weird modal hard-on; with the way all the buses feed into the Ferry system, it makes way more sense for buses to go direct to the Ferry via the ROW, rather than build a rail line that will be free like the rest of the SIR and force people to take a bus + rail + ferry.

but an opportunity is lost to have trains running via the North Shore and then continuing to New Jersey. Rail service is quicker.

[GojiMet86]

North Shore really should have been heavy rail, not light rail or BRT.

[bobtehpanda]

but an opportunity is lost to have trains running via the North Shore and then continuing to New Jersey. Rail service is quicker.

 

No one is going to take the train from Jersey to the North Shore so that they can take the ferry to Manhattan, and the North Shore is not exactly a major jobs center. Half of the walkshed of the North Shore BRT ROW is in New York Bay.

[LTA1992]

As a person who has lived on the North Shore and not too far from the former Arlington station, I have to say that it needs to be heavy rail. Especially when there are big snow storms, there needs to be an efficient and working alternative to get people to their jobs. None of the buses up there that go to the ferry run when there are big storms.

[Grand Concourse]

l wonder if the open gangway cars be another R11, R110 type of ordeal?

 

well the r110a paved the way for the r142/as. Hard to say if this will be a one off or if it becomes the first of a new batch of trains. I personally don't think it would be a good idea to have trains connected together like on the triplex given how it takes one smelly homeless person to drive people out of one car. Imagine having to deal with the stench for the whole train set? That and despite trains in linked sets, it would be difficult to inspect the cars unless the cars can be split apart from each other. If one car is totaled, the rest of the set is useless.

[Fan Railer]

The 10 prototype cars are likely going to be a benchmark to test technology that will be used in the R68/68A replacement contract (which is likely to be around the 800 60-foot car range).

[Union Tpke]

well the r110a paved the way for the r142/as. Hard to say if this will be a one off or if it becomes the first of a new batch of trains. I personally don't think it would be a good idea to have trains connected together like on the triplex given how it takes one smelly homeless person to drive people out of one car. Imagine having to deal with the stench for the whole train set? That and despite trains in linked sets, it would be difficult to inspect the cars unless the cars can be split apart from each other. If one car is totaled, the rest of the set is useless.

I disagree. Open Gangway trains 

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2015/04/06/when-american-transit-agencies-ignore-the-worlds-move-to-open-gangways/

 

This would allow for a capacity increase without lengthening platforms.

 

The same problem with splitting the cars exists with the five car sets.

[Grand Concourse]

But with the homeless people, it takes one person to clear out a whole car. Open gangways will allow that stench to reach te other cars. I don't think it would be a great idea.

[bobtehpanda]

But with the homeless people, it takes one person to clear out a whole car. Open gangways will allow that stench to reach te other cars. I don't think it would be a great idea.

 

There are plenty of cities with a homeless problem that still manage to have open gangway cars, like Paris.

[Dj Hammers]

But with the homeless people, it takes one person to clear out a whole car. Open gangways will allow that stench to reach te other cars. I don't think it would be a great idea.

This issue has been solved elsewhere by placing air intakes for the ventilation system in optimal positions.

[Grand Concourse]

It'll need to be better than the ventilation system on the ntts right now. Even those aren't good enough to clear the air on crowded trains.

[IAlam]

But with the homeless people, it takes one person to clear out a whole car. Open gangways will allow that stench to reach te other cars. I don't think it would be a great idea.

the MTA plans on evicting homeless people from the subway now this way they can go to the proper services  

[bobtehpanda]

the MTA plans on evicting homeless people from the subway now this way they can go to the proper services  

 

1. That's not actually true

 

2. That's not actually legal unless they're doing actually illegal things, since the homeless are also citizens with human rights

[CenSin]

1. That's not actually true

 

2. That's not actually legal unless they're doing actually illegal things, since the homeless are also citizens with human rights

There's a limit to those rights.

 

Simple solution:

1. The MTA must remove people from trains before taking them out of revenue service.
2. Order the train to be removed from revenue service for cleaning.
3. The proper authorities can then remove the homeless person from the train. How they plan to remove them from the subway system is another problem.

[JGMR]

they should not have BRT ON THE NORTH SHORE!

HAVE HEAVY RAIL OR AT LEAST LIGHT RAIL!

I'd say that the Staten Island north shore BRT should be light rail, but if they're going to build light rail on Staten Island, it should be on the west shore, and connect to the HBLR. That being said, if they're going to build light rail on Staten Island, people will want it in Queens on old LIRR ROW, and on the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront. Then people will want Triboro RX to be a thing. If they can get that done, there's no reason why we can't have the Second Avenue Subway going from the Bronx to Brooklyn with express tracks. While we're at it, let's renovate all of the stations with platform edge doors and high, arched ceilings. Replace all of the R32s, R62s, and R68s with new articlulated trains... oh-oh! They can have vinyl seats. Yaaaaaaas. Okay, now let's build subways up 10th Avenue and across 125th to LaGuardia, and if we're converting SBS routes into subways, let's also do the Bx12. Also, why not extend the 7 out to Secaucus, and the E out to Syosset- yaaas gurl yaaaaaaas!

 

My point is that unless they give the MTA significantly more funding, we can't demand much from them. Ask not what the MTA can do for you, but what you can do for the MTA.

[Union Tpke]

That is why tolls need to be in place on East River Bridges!

[bobtehpanda]

 

There's a limit to those rights.

 

Simple solution:

1. The MTA must remove people from trains before taking them out of revenue service.
2. Order the train to be removed from revenue service for cleaning.
3. The proper authorities can then remove the homeless person from the train. How they plan to remove them from the subway system is another problem.

 

 

You can get them off the train, but unless they're doing something illegal they can't be forcibly removed from stations. The ACLU has established such in its successful court cases.