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Penn Station Emergency Repair Work Mitigation Plan


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In the wake of Amtrak’s forced summer service cuts at Penn Station, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Penn Station Task Force today released a comprehensive transportation plan that restores rush-hour commuter capacity to and from Manhattan and alleviates anticipated delays and disruptions for LIRR commuters.

The plan, developed in conjunction with the Penn Station Task Force established by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in May, addresses the near-term summer crisis at Penn Station and will minimize the long-term operating and management failures of Amtrak. It focuses on three key service objectives in the face of Amtrak service cuts: maintaining LIRR’s Penn Station passenger capacity, providing alternative transportation options and mitigating an anticipated increase in traffic. This action plan will be communicated through an aggressive public awareness campaign to ensure riders have the information they need to plan ahead.

 

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How is this possible? --

 

"As a result of reduced track capacity during Amtrak’s emergency repair and construction work this summer, LIRR was faced with having to cancel or divert up to 15 trains that normally arrive at Penn Station during the morning rush period between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., affecting approximately 9,600 customers. After an extensive analysis, LIRR is providing seats for every potentially affected customer by adding three new trains into Penn, and adding approximately 36 cars to additional Penn-bound trains."

 

​How, faced with eliminating 15 trains, can they instead ADD 3 trains?

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It sounds so perfect but is leaking BS from every angle. MTA is just sweet-talking us I believe, we're doing so much but in reality all shit might break loose. This is prob to avoid refunding customers lol.

 

 

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That's exactly what it is.  They also made it clear that they don't plan on refunding customers at all. That Veronique Hakim lady is a character. She had the audacity to say that they put service over refunds.  They've been providing more cancellations than actual service! Talk about BS and insulting commuters.  I hope that lawyer and the other lady win in court and that other LIRR commuters join in the suit.  

 

Where are the buses coming from? Are these express buses being pulled from depots? Or are they contracting out to other bus companies?

I was wondering the same thing...

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That's exactly what it is.  They also made it clear that they don't plan on refunding customers at all. That Veronique Hakim lady is a character. She had the audacity to say that they put service over refunds.  They've been providing more cancellations than actual service! Talk about BS and insulting commuters.  I hope that lawyer and the other lady win in court and that other LIRR commuters join in the suit.  

 

I was wondering the same thing...

I doubt they'll win anything. LIRR doesn't guarantee anything but a ride and they "cannot assume responsibility for inconvenience, expense or damage resulting from errors in timetables, delayed trains, failure to make connections or for changes in or shortages of equipment"  so I don't know what they could possibly say the LIRR didn't do or did incorrectly.

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I doubt they'll win anything. LIRR doesn't guarantee anything but a ride and they "cannot assume responsibility for inconvenience, expense or damage resulting from errors in timetables, delayed trains, failure to make connections or for changes in or shortages of equipment"  so I don't know what they could possibly say the LIRR didn't do or did incorrectly.

They stated very clearly why they were suing.  It's noted in the article, and if that's the case, then all of that BS the LIRR puts out to cover their @sses may not be enough. I hope it isn't because the culture at the LIRR needs to change.  When I compare my experience with MNRR to that of the LIRR it's like night and day. My fares are slightly cheaper, my trains are generally almost always punctual, and it's just a better commute overall.  Putting Penn Station aside for a second, there's no excuse as to why the LIRR should continue to operate the way that it does.  When Veronique Hakim makes a claim that the LIRR is putting service over refunds given how dysmal the LIRR has been now for the last several years, it's hard to take her seriously.  Hell I think she even wanted to laugh at that one, which is why she put her hand to her chest immediately afterwards.  Her body language just screamed BS.  

 

Oh and while we're talking about "service", there were more cancellations tonight during the heart of rush hour.  <_<

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How is this possible? --

 

"As a result of reduced track capacity during Amtrak’s emergency repair and construction work this summer, LIRR was faced with having to cancel or divert up to 15 trains that normally arrive at Penn Station during the morning rush period between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., affecting approximately 9,600 customers. After an extensive analysis, LIRR is providing seats for every potentially affected customer by adding three new trains into Penn, and adding approximately 36 cars to additional Penn-bound trains."

 

​How, faced with eliminating 15 trains, can they instead ADD 3 trains?

I've noticed a super express train from Port Washington to Penn making no stops, most likely this used to be a deadhead trip.

 

Also if you don't have a pass and want to ride the bus what happens then? 

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I've noticed a super express train from Port Washington to Penn making no stops, most likely this used to be a deadhead trip.

 

Also if you don't have a pass and want to ride the bus what happens then? 

They're only cross honoring weekly passes and monthly passes.  No ifs ands or buts.  

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I've noticed a super express train from Port Washington to Penn making no stops, most likely this used to be a deadhead trip.

 

If its always been a DH from the yard to Penn, I wonder what made them decide to add this run. It's not like they cut any of the 5am trains. I also noticed the GN local/expresses from HPA... Is this the first time PW trains will originate from HPA?

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What makes the MTA so sure that monthly and weekly LIRR ticket holders will actually use the Express Buses into Penn Station?

Oh please.  People living in the suburbs and suburban areas generally are not fond of the subway, so they WILL use the express bus and/or the ferry, even if it takes longer. In fact they were interviewing people on the news who said they would definitely use it. It's safer and provides them with a relaxing ride.  The subway represents everything that suburban people DON'T like about urban living.  Crowded, dirty, homeless people, underground, etc. The LIRR runs like a subway at times, but it's still a commuter railroad.  Hell I have colleagues that can't use the subway because it makes them claustrophobic.  They of course live in the suburbs and come in with the express bus.

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Oh please.  People living in the suburbs and suburban areas generally are not fond of the subway, so they WILL use the express bus and/or the ferry, even if it takes longer. In fact they were interviewing people on the news who said they would definitely use it. It's safer and provides them with a relaxing ride.  The subway represents everything that suburban people DON'T like about urban living.  Crowded, dirty, homeless people, underground, etc. The LIRR runs like a subway at times, but it's still a commuter railroad.  Hell I have colleagues that can't use the subway because it makes them claustrophobic.  They of course live in the suburbs and come in with the express bus.

 

The only group of people who I usually see holding this opinion are older generation of Long Islanders. They're also the only ones who tend to rationalize moving out to a suburb with limited and overpriced transportation. Interestingly, most of the ones I've met just happen to be people who used to live in Brooklyn and Queens, and "conveniently" left when things were supposedly getting bad. Most young Long Islanders I know tend to move out of the suburbs and into the city where the subway is more frequent and abundant.

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The only group of people who I usually see holding this opinion are older generation of Long Islanders. They're also the only ones who tend to rationalize moving out to a suburb with limited and overpriced transportation. Interestingly, most of the ones I've met just happen to be people who used to live in Brooklyn and Queens, and "conveniently" left when things were supposedly getting bad. Most young Long Islanders I know tend to move out of the suburbs and into the city where the subway is more frequent and abundant.

Most of the users of express buses tend to be females (young and middle aged) and the elderly, which is who will be using these express buses.  The females feel safer on the buses, and the elderly use them because they feel safe and have mobility problems, so there's that.  Some men will use them too, but overall that's the demographic that will be on them. Standards vary on what's acceptable for usage, but in the true suburbs, usually the commuter rails are seen as "the thing" to use by white collar professionals. After that there are express buses or fast ferries. The subway is usually the last thing a suburban person wants to use, and yes a lot of people from the city move on to the suburbs.  Just a natural progression.  It's a question of wanting more space and wanting a less crowded environment.  Young people gravitate towards urban settings overall, but there are also people who need to escape to a more laid back less hectic environment, so it's a mix. I wouldn't assume that all of the people that moved from the city to Long Island would automatically want to take the subway. You'd be surprised.  I've lived in quite a few areas where that isn't the case, and currently do now.  The subway is only used if there is no alternative. 

The suburbs is supposed to be an escape from everything that an urban environment has, and that includes the subway.

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If its always been a DH from the yard to Penn, I wonder what made them decide to add this run. It's not like they cut any of the 5am trains. I also noticed the GN local/expresses from HPA... Is this the first time PW trains will originate from HPA?

Well I always supported allowing people to ride deadheading trains, because one it allows for more capacity even if it's on a very limited scale in this case, and 2 it's a faster service for passengers who are conveniently going between the 2 destinations. As to why the MTA added this trip it may be because of the diverted trips to Hunterspoint Av.

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The only group of people who I usually see holding this opinion are older generation of Long Islanders. They're also the only ones who tend to rationalize moving out to a suburb with limited and overpriced transportation. Interestingly, most of the ones I've met just happen to be people who used to live in Brooklyn and Queens, and "conveniently" left when things were supposedly getting bad. Most young Long Islanders I know tend to move out of the suburbs and into the city where the subway is more frequent and abundant.

 

Most young Long Islanders move out into the city or continue shacking up with their parents. No millenial can afford a house in Long Island.

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Well I always supported allowing people to ride deadheading trains, because one it allows for more capacity even if it's on a very limited scale in this case, and 2 it's a faster service for passengers who are conveniently going between the 2 destinations. As to why the MTA added this trip it may be because of the diverted trips to Hunterspoint Av.

 

So they run it super express to Penn and then send it to HPA for the afternoon?

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So they run it super express to Penn and then send it to HPA for the afternoon?

Don't know much about how this trip will work sorry about that. But from the looks of it, it's probably a filler for the current trains going to HPA. 

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I was reading about the "Summer of Hell," and I came upon this.

 

 

In fact, Moorman maintains, LIRR already owes Amtrak "significant funds" from two years of not complying with a federal requirement to help fund Northeast Corridor commuter investments. 

 

Finally, Moorman points out, Amtrak actually leases a portion of the MTA's own Metro-North infrastructure. And when Metro-North experienced its own string of failures and outages in 2013, Amtrak never sought to recoup the $50 million it invested in the Metro-North infrastructure, or the revenue it lost during the service failures and delays. 

 

"During these incidents, Amtrak did not disparage Metro North, or seek to gain advantage from the situation," Moorman wrote. "Instead, Amtrak offered assistance to restore Metro-North's infrastructure, and has not to date pursued claims for the millions in losses we have incurred as Amtrak regularly experiences the worst on-time performance for our trains on any section of the Northeast Corridor -- currently in the low 80 percent range -- which is far below the performance levels regularly achieved by LIRR on our railroad."

 

Moorman emphasized that "all users" at Penn Station need to make sufficient investments to improving Penn Station, and working together will make a better case for additional federal, state and private funding. 

"While this summer will be extremely challenging for all who operate or ride trains in PSNY, the actions we now are taking start us on a path towards achieving the levels of reliability and services we all desire," he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Amtrak-Fires-Back-as-LIRR-Declares-It-Wont-Pay-Rent-During-Penn-Station-Work-429944213.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand

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