Official FASTRACK Subway Repair Discussion

[Guest MTA Bus]

I think that the MTA should have a shuttle bus run between 8th Av and 36th St .

[alekr]

The Lex Ave Fastrack (4)/ is very simple.

 

They didn't post a map because this one is very simple.

 

The  service ends early and the runs local between 42nd street and 125th street.

[BreeddekalbL]

According to the  website and fast track schedule when they finish the and(q) fastrack at the end of june whats the next on the schedule?

[alekr]

According to the  website and fast track schedule when they finish the and(q) fastrack at the end of june whats the next on the schedule?

 

I believe that the fastrack is on hold for the summer season due to tourists and many events. It will resume in the fall

[AndrewJC]

According to the  website and fast track schedule when they finish the and(q) fastrack at the end of june whats the next on the schedule?

 

The dates are in here: http://www.mta.info/mta/news/books/docs/FasTrack2012Results%20_2013%20Plans.pdf

 

So: July 15-19 is Concourse, Aug. 12-16 is QBL, Aug. 26-30 is Washington Heights, Sept. 9-13 is Lex local, Sept. 16-20 is CPW, Oct. 5-6 is Coney Island Creek, Oct. 14-18 is QBL, Oct. 28-Nov. 1 is Lex express, Nov. 4-8 is Concourse, Nov. 18-22 is Washington Heights, Nov. 23-24 is Coney Island Creek, and Dec. 2-6 is Rutgers.

 

I believe that the fastrack is on hold for the summer season due to tourists and many events. It will resume in the fall

 

Ridership is lower in the summer than the rest of the year. A weekend shutdown in the Coney Island area would be a bad idea, but the other FASTRACK corridors are all fine in the summer.

[Snowblock]

Why is this Lex Express shutdown even being called Fasttrack??? No stations are getting closed, and aside from the ending early, there aren't going to be any reroutes. They close down one or both of the Lex express tracks all the time.

[AndrewJC]

Why is this Lex Express shutdown even being called Fasttrack??? No stations are getting closed, and aside from the ending early, there aren't going to be any reroutes. They close down one or both of the Lex express tracks all the time.

 

But typically for capital jobs, not for MOW work. (Granted, that isn't a distinction that the typical rider cares about.)

[GreatOne2k]

Anyone think that the remaining trains should have run via 7 Av express to/from South Ferry or Chambers Street to help the when FASTRACK was in effect? At that time the (2)/(3)/(5) can fit on the 7 Av express tracks.

[AndrewJC]

Anyone think that the remaining trains should have run via 7 Av express to/from South Ferry or Chambers Street to help the when FASTRACK was in effect? At that time the (2)/(3)/(5) can fit on the 7 Av express tracks.

 

I don't. Why does the 2 need "help" in Manhattan? The 1/2/3 doesn't pick up any additional riders in Manhattan (aside from a very few Dyre riders who are indifferent between West Side and East Side) due to this GO. Running 5 trains on the West Side (especially to South Ferry!) is confusing to riders, and to create "slots" for these 5 trains, there would probably need to be supplement schedules for the 1, 2, and 3.

[BreeddekalbL]

http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/fastrack_EFMR.htm

 

something doesn't make sense here, in the getting around table at 21st street queensbridge table what do they mean CI train is not available? isn't that the only train at 21st street?

[pjbr40]

i read it and it said Coney Island-bound  service available. Meaning it the terminal stop. 

 Some people think there no train available at that stop so that why they wrote it that way. 

Also i think they want to clarify which direction the train is available to use at that particular stop

Edited May 29, 2013 by pjbr40

[paulrivera]

Just noticed something with this week's Broadway Fastrack. The is being extended to Bowling Green, which I guess helps out riders going to/from Lower Manhattan. I wonder if the  extension was part of the Fastrack supplement package or just a lucky coincidence?

 

Based on the Fastrack N/Q/R page, I'd say coincidence, but the MTA is a hard shell to crack so to speak...

[pjbr40]

that because the train dosent run at night so they decied to extend the to BG so they can use the SF loop(outer loop)

[S78 via Hylan]

that because the train dosent run at night so they decied to extend the to BG so they can use the SF loop(outer loop)

It has nothing to do with the not running in Manhattan at night. They usually extend the to BG if they are doing work in the City Hall Loop, but it does give riders another option.

[lupojohn]

I guess this would explain why the is terminating at Utica, Flatbush and Bowling Green. Caught it on the announcement signs.

[Snowblock]

Have any of you heard anything about the July 15-18 Concourse Fastrack getting cancelled? It's still listed on the MTA website's Fastrack schedule page, but it isn't showing up in a future date service change search, and I know that both weekends of the "Fastrack Preparation" GO got cancelled.

[JustLok]

We can work in open cuts, such as Prospect Park on the Q and so forth at night, I've done it before. Of course, you gotta watch out for the canned vegetables and BB guns... I've also seen work done out on structure at nights, using portable site lights to light up the work area. But that involves a noise mitigation plan and lotsa other variances...

 

Last I heard on June 28th, this July's Concourse FasTrack is still on.

 

Also, reason FasTracks fall off during the summer has nothing to do with ridership. It's due to the weather (hot, humid) and its affects on workers, but its affect on workers is more about decreased production and NOT the actual worker's well being, in as much so as it relates to productivity. Plus, more workers are on vacation during the summer, less of a workforce to utilize, therefore in their eyes, shutdown costs aren't being used wisely. But they're scheduled this summer because they have more set this year and the summer is slowly becoming the only available slots.

 

BTW, there's gonna be 40 FasTracks scheduled for next year. Yay... It was originally suppose to be 45. Guess we're lucky...?

 

Believe me when I say MTA is in LOVE with FasTrack. It's here to stay.

[dp142]

Management believes Fast Track is the next best thing since "Sliced Bread."

 

As for as my own department, 3rd rail (Power Distribution) we are not doing anymore work on fast Track then we would on a regular night.

 

Even though we are not removing power there is no service which means we are all waiting, a little over 21 men, for one of 2 suburbans to make the trips back and forth to pick us up and take us to the job site. Then we have to wait for the 1 material truck to make it's rounds around the Bronx, Queens and Lower to Midtown Manhattan to make all it's deliveries.

 

On the last fast track we had a work train to replace contract rail. While we were doing it track went on the Diesel end of the train a rail length away and began a rail job because they had a set number of rail to replace that night. 

 

All I see is a dangerous work environment being power is on, many of the maintainers nights are new and not used to working live as we used to do, foremen nervous and on edge pushing to get as much work done while being out on the tracks till a pre-set time, worried about the supt's doing audits, system safety making up the rules as they go along (structure guy with the pony tail)

 

The water coolers come out but there is no ice and no cups. When we did a track construction job a few years back on the Broadway line during the summer the temp was in the high 90's even past a hundred at one time. Management would not turn on the fans because the people in the buildings above complained they were disruptive. Instead, you had men pass out from heat exhaustion and productivity came to a halt almost.

 

Years ago we had "get it and go." Not half the amount of safety as today and barely anyone got hurt or just didn't report it and the men took care of him.

Now "it's get it and get more till I say so" guys are getting hurt. Departments aren't working together and safety is only after productivity.

[QM1to6Ave]

Management believes Fast Track is the next best thing since "Sliced Bread."

 

As for as my own department, 3rd rail (Power Distribution) we are not doing anymore work on fast Track then we would on a regular night.

 

Even though we are not removing power there is no service which means we are all waiting, a little over 21 men, for one of 2 suburbans to make the trips back and forth to pick us up and take us to the job site. Then we have to wait for the 1 material truck to make it's rounds around the Bronx, Queens and Lower to Midtown Manhattan to make all it's deliveries.

 

On the last fast track we had a work train to replace contract rail. While we were doing it track went on the Diesel end of the train a rail length away and began a rail job because they had a set number of rail to replace that night. 

 

All I see is a dangerous work environment being power is on, many of the maintainers nights are new and not used to working live as we used to do, foremen nervous and on edge pushing to get as much work done while being out on the tracks till a pre-set time, worried about the supt's doing audits, system safety making up the rules as they go along (structure guy with the pony tail)

 

The water coolers come out but there is no ice and no cups. When we did a track construction job a few years back on the Broadway line during the summer the temp was in the high 90's even past a hundred at one time. Management would not turn on the fans because the people in the buildings above complained they were disruptive. Instead, you had men pass out from heat exhaustion and productivity came to a halt almost.

 

Years ago we had "get it and go." Not half the amount of safety as today and barely anyone got hurt or just didn't report it and the men took care of him.

Now "it's get it and get more till I say so" guys are getting hurt. Departments aren't working together and safety is only after productivity.

 

Damn, that's terrible to hear. Why don't they have you cut the power if there are no in service trains coming in or out of the stations?

[dp142]

Because many departments are working on different tracks an it's easier to provide lighting from a bank of light hooked up to the 3rd rail as opposed to carrying out "Pelicans" which are big, heavy, sometime not fully charged and only 1 can be carried safely at a time.

System safety declared you need at least 5 candle lights of light in the entire work area. 

 

Also, Even though a G.O. is scheduled to into effect at Midnight the actual power does not go off for another hour and half to two hours. So, If the power goes off at 1:30 and we are waiting for the suburban to make it's rounds and unload the material truck and set up the pelicans, etc it would be time to go back to restore the power by the time we are done setting up.

 

Remember, Safety is OK until it gets in the way of actual productivity. For instance since the Signal Maintainer was killed in Queens a few months back there is a no rule regarding backs and cases with wheels being used. However, Track dept. uses a tree style pelican light that comes in a wheeled suit case style. That's OK cause system safety says so!

 

Better for their number s to work with power on. Should someone get hurt we blame it on the Supervisor and or hourly for not following the rules.

[JustLok]

This year's FasTrack is different from last, as when FasTrack first started, they were REALLY coming down hard for good numbers and productivity. We gave it to them, but we also didn't stay till 4AM. Yeah, that ended when Supt's came out to the job asking where the men were. End of "Get it and go" from then on... 

 

Now, as you said dp142, across ALL departments, it's normal productivity and work now. The bean counters downtown make the numbers look great, everyone pats each other on their backs and smoke their cigars.

 

That guy you mentioned from Safety, you probably already know, but he is not with the Office of System Safety. He is the union's shop steward and safety officer/liaison. The West Indian/Guyanese looking guy, right? He tried coming down onto the tracks once and a Supt got him, as they are NOT allowed onto the tracks, GO or not, without supervision. That's why most of the time they stay on the platform and yell into the hole after guys. I always says show me the rule that they're supposedly breaking, the actual numbered rule, if not, get off the job. They have to write the rule on the writeup, but they usually try to throw their weight around. I understand safety, it's important, but it's Local 100 guys trying to write up other Local 100 guys, why? And the safety rules aren't the life and limb ones either being quoted.

 

Don't read me the wrong way, I'm not against safety, but these guys come down, see everything is cool, but still come up with these "rules" and others to bust balls or nitpick on other things. Where were you the other night when it really was dangerous?

 

I've been on pretty much every FasTrack since it started and I have not ONCE seen OSS come out to check any jobs, whatsoever, at anytime. We speculated that upper management must've said something to OSS to keep out, since this is a pretty big, important, public media event, and let the work go as it does. Which is unfortunate, as there would be plenty of writeups, banging ins, days on the street, hats taken and given in and more on these FasTracks.

 

They've been telling us they don't want us off the track till 4AM at the earliest, and ON the track by 11-11:30PM! It's not even so much as the work as the resemblance of work, but still work nonetheless.  

 

The Pelicans on wheels you mentioned are usually just called "suitcases." And they're never charged, start flashing after 5mins of use, EVERYTIME!

 

There's some foremen who like to rush and cut corners, which is stupid, since you gotta be down on the track till 4AM, why take shortcuts??? And there's foremen who do it genuinely safely for their gang and even standup to the Supt when they come strolling along asking why we're still setting up in the pitch black when we could use our helmet lights! Get to work! Yar yar! YAR!

 

Yeah, it's getting worse down here each day.... No one looks out for each other anymore, safety wise nor job wise. Becoming more and more a dog eat dog place own here. And it's only gonna get worse...

 

 

[dp142]

I agree completely; things are only going to get worse.

Even "making your own breaks" among your fellow co-workers is becoming harder. Some are understandably scared to do so and some not around long enough to even know what it means.

 

I'm not against safety either. Some of the changes have been for the better and should have come long ago like better lighting, supv's having radios, the upgrade in tools in my dept. alone. It felt like we hit Lotto when we got an electric drill (we only went cordless 3-4 years ago) to drill Protection Board holes instead of the old hand crank Bit & Brace. The increase in Flagging adjacent tracks, etc. All good stuff!

 

I didn't know the union rep from safety wasn't allowed on the job sites with his management counter part. If you know where it might be written please let me know. Myself along with a small number of co workers go up against him however our supv cowers down to him to where he makes outrageous demands on us in the interest of safety (which it really isn't) only adding to our workload and in reality creating more of a safety hazard then he believes he's correcting.

[Snowblock]

NOW the Fasttrack service changes are in the mta.info future service changes system. Took them long enough.....and since we're a week away from it starting, they'll probably start hanging up the posters now too, making all of the riders think that it's gonna be THIS week instead of NEXT week.

[dp142]

Anyone work last nights Fast Track?

[Snowblock]

I did! Had to take my train OOS at 125 so we could lay it up on A6. Nothing like seeing homeball alley up close!