MTA Reorganization Plan: Andy Byford Stripped of Power due to Prince Andrew's Jealousy, Commuters in for more than a "Summer of Hell"

[Union Tpke]

@RR503 @Around the Horn @Via Garibaldi 8 @BM5 via Woodhaven @QM1to6Ave @Lance @S78 via Hylan @LaGuardia Link N Tra @RailRunRob @checkmatechamp13 @DetSMART45 @Lawrence St @RollOver @Calvin @R68OnBroadway @GojiMet86 @Lil 57 @bobtehpanda @CenSin @Deucey @T to Dyre Avenue @trainfan22 @mtattrain @NoHacksJustKhaks @Coney Island Av @B35 via Church @Cait Sith @MHV9218 @Daniel The Cool @MysteriousBtrain

 If there is ever a time to speak to your elected officials, now is the time. All the progress that President Byford has worked for will go into the trash if this goes through, which seems likely. MTACC is a complete disaster, and transferring planning there, and splitting the buses and planning away from Byford will mean the end of FastForward as the top to bottom modernization of transit and the beginning of Pause while the plan is politicized and changed at the whims of our childish governor. This is why I refused to vote for the Governor like a lot of other Democrats. We need to stand up and let our voices heard. We need to save our transit system and save the leader of the renaissance of transit in the city, President Andy Byford.

Fear and loathing at MTA as Andy Byford expected to be stripped of major responsibilities

A cost-cutting overhaul is about to shake the MTA to its core, sources familiar with the plan tell the Daily News.
Departments will be consolidated, employees will be canned and many expect the changes will undermine one of the agency’s most important bosses: NYC Transit President Andy Byford.

Under state legislation passed in April, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is required to produce a money-saving reorganization plan by the end of June.
A recent draft of that plan included measures that would drastically reduce Byford’s influence at the agency, say several sources familiar with the recommendations.

AlixPartners, the firm hired to consult on the reorganization, proposes separating New York City’s subways and buses into two different operating agencies. Both services are now part of NYC Transit and are run by Byford. The draft plan leaves Byford running only the subways.

Byford is also expected to lose control of subway construction projects. If that change goes through, he would no longer oversee big ticket initiatives like upgrading the subway’s signal system or making stations more accessible.
Sources said the reorganization plan would move those projects to the purview of the MTA’s Capital Construction department and its head Janno Lieber.
Gov. Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the MTA in mid-2017, and in January 2018 brought in Byford — who won accolades for turning around Toronto’s transit system — to run NYC Transit. Byford was tasked with putting in effect Cuomo’s $836 million Subway Action Plan, which was meant to rapidly fix the system.

This year, as subway on-time performance rates hit five-year highs, he and Cuomo have jockeyed for credit for the improvements, sources with knowledge of the situation told The News.
Cuomo’s program to quickly make up for years of neglect — like clearing 10,000 clogged subway drains ― has helped curb delays. Byford’s day-to-day management of the system and his initiative to reconfigure faulty signaling equipment and remove cumbersome subway speed limits have also helped better service.
But sources say Cuomo is frustrated by pushback against his rework of NYC Transit’s plan to repair the L-train East River tunnel — and by Byford’s quasi-celebrity status.

Some MTA officials fear Cuomo is using the reorganization plan to pull one over on Byford. “There is a strong suspicion that the report was already mostly written by the time AlixPartners came in,” one high ranking MTA source said.
Many parts of the AlixPartners reorganization plan — like the consolidation of the MTA’s seven different finance offices, seven legal departments and seven human resources divisions — have been considered by Cuomo, other politicians and agency officials for decades.
“We have spoken about it (the reorganization) for months and commuters and taxpayers have had enough delay and the path forward is clear,” said Cuomo spokesman Patrick Muncie. “The Subway Action Plan has demonstrated the system’s failings and the necessary corrective actions.”

AlixPartners — which in April was awarded a 12-month, $4.1 million contract to complete the MTA reorganization plan — is well-versed in major corporate overhauls. It oversaw the reorganization of General Motors when it filed for bankruptcy amid the financial crisis in 2009, and has consulted for other large companies like Enron and KMart.
But critics say the firm seems flummoxed by the MTA’s Byzantine workings.
“It didn’t appear that they (AlixPartners) have a lot of large transportation agency knowledge,” said Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, one of seven advocacy organizations who met with AlixPartners this month to speak about the reorganization. “Restructuring Enron and restructuring the MTA are two different animals.”

Several MTA officials who have dealt with AlixPartners told The News that its employees don’t understand civil service laws that protect public employees.
Breaking up subway and bus services poses a series of legal and logistical issues. MTA buses are run by three separate organizations: Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority and NYC Transit Bus, which run local and select bus services, and MTA Bus Company, which runs most of the interborough express routes.
Splitting up the operation of subways and buses would require the MTA to restructure its collective bargaining agreements with its bus operators, who are represented by four different unions. If they attempt to consolidate the three bus organizations, it may also require the state Legislature to amend provisions of civil service laws that would block such a change.
[More New York] Boy, 5, stabbed while walking with mom in Bronx, attacker nabbed after cops get tip »
“They (AlixPartners) initially didn’t understand the distinction between non-civil servant and civil servant bus operators at the MTA,” a source who met with its consultants. “They thought they were going to be able to create a bus company without regarding that roughly half of the bus operators are protected civil servants, the other half are not.”
AlixPartners declined comment.
MTA spokesman Max Young defended AlixPartners as “a world class management consulting firm.”

AlixPartners is required by law to submit the plan Sunday. It will go to the MTA board for approval in July, and will be posted on the agency’s website by August 31. The plan will be executed by a new “director of transformation,” who will report to the MTA board.
Transit advocates and analysts worry about the plan’s lack of transparency and to changes in Byford’s role.

“I think the fact that we’re talking about these radical changes and adoption is just days away and no one knows about it speaks to the deficiencies of this process,” said TransitCenter spokesman Ben Fried. “These aren’t decisions that should be made lightly and they need to be deliberated on publicly.”
Riders Alliance spokesman Danny Pearlstein said that Cuomo’s main role at the MTA should be to “recruit and retain the people who can get the job done.”
“What riders want most from the governor and his MTA is a clear focus on the plan to fix the subway and bus systems,” said Pearlstein. "That means faster trips and more reliable commutes, modern signals and hundreds of new subway cars and station elevators. That’s the real deal. The rest is distraction and noise.”

Edited June 30, 2019 by Union Tpke
Enough

[RailRunRob]

Bat signal received I have the direct ear of 3 State senators and a personal connect to Carl Hastings. @Union Tpke Let me know what your plan forward is. DM me!

[LGA Link N Train]

I read this article earlier and I highly doubt that this reorganization plan will help any New Yorkers. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! It's disgusting that our Governor only wants to associate himself with the when things are going well for them just to make himself look good, Especially when the true credit for NYCT Improvements goes to Byford himself. And when Byford gets credit for improvements, Cuomo wants to get all mad at him for not getting the credit that truly belongs to Byford and HIS team. Not to mention that most of the people that Cuomo hires or appoints to the  have little to no knowledge of how the organization works, which is not a good mix with the incompetence that happens over at 2 Broadway. Anyways, I'll see what I can do to help!

[Union Tpke]

20 minutes ago, LaGuardia Link N Tra said:

I read this article earlier and I highly doubt that this reorganization plan will help any New Yorkers. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! It's disgusting that our Governor only wants to associate himself with the when things are going well for them just to make himself look good, Especially when the true credit for NYCT Improvements goes to Byford himself. And when Byford gets credit for improvements, Cuomo wants to get all mad at him for not getting the credit that truly belongs to Byford and HIS team. Not to mention that most of the people that Cuomo hires or appoints to the  have little to no knowledge of how the organization works, which is not a good mix with the incompetence that happens over at 2 Broadway. Anyways, I'll see what I can do to help!

Thanks! We need all the help we can get.

[Union Tpke]

Key people to contact:

- William B. Magnarelli head of the Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation MagnarW@nyassembly.gov

--Timothy M. Kennedy head of the Senate Transportation Committee kennedy@nysenate.gov

Your State Senator https://www.nysenate.gov/registration/nojs/form/start/find-my-senator

Your State Assemblymember: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

Your City Councilmember: https://council.nyc.gov/districts/

The Public Advocate: gethelp@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

Speaker of the City Council: SpeakerJohnson@council.nyc.gov

Mayor DeBlasio (like it will do anything): https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/mayor-contact.page

Governor (good luck): https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

[RR503]

If you all on here believe that professional — rather than political — management of transit systems is worth anything, this is your time to write/speak/call. That, or forever hold your peace. 

Decisions are made by those who show (or speak) up, folks! 

[Coney Island Av]

I dont post often on here anymore but this is my opinion on the matter: 

This reorganization plan is absolutely horrid and disgusting. Byford was hired to SAVE the system, but Cuomo and other corrupt officials have only made this entire thing completely worse. This plan will have absolutely NO positive impact on not just the agency but New York as a whole. We barely have anyone in MTA that knows whats happening given that their all ill prepared, equipped, and not as mindful. Byford is one of the few people that knows the corruption behind the scenes, the man who can fix it, but if he gets stripped of power, all hope of fixing the system will be lost. 

Everything is already bad enough as it is, from the massively scaled down  project to the removal of the M14 SBS bus lanes. Not to mention the fact that this also may threaten the MUSEUM. The museum preserves all the retired antique equipment to keep history alive- yet all that may be put to neglect with this plan. 

I'll see what I can do to speak up for this, but for now, I'd also encourage everyone else to see this thread and speak up! 

[Union Tpke]

18 minutes ago, Coney Island Av said:

 

I'll see what I can do to speak up for this, but for now, I'd also encourage everyone else to see this thread and speak up! 

Thanks!

[QM1to6Ave]

Wow, this is really sad. I liked Byford (and Joe Lhota for that matter) and they all seem to get squeezed out. God help us if Jay Walder gets paraded out again 

[Around the Horn]

Why am I not surprised?

[Wallyhorse]

17 hours ago, LaGuardia Link N Tra said:

I read this article earlier and I highly doubt that this reorganization plan will help any New Yorkers. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! It's disgusting that our Governor only wants to associate himself with the when things are going well for them just to make himself look good, Especially when the true credit for NYCT Improvements goes to Byford himself. And when Byford gets credit for improvements, Cuomo wants to get all mad at him for not getting the credit that truly belongs to Byford and HIS team. Not to mention that most of the people that Cuomo hires or appoints to the  have little to no knowledge of how the organization works, which is not a good mix with the incompetence that happens over at 2 Broadway. Anyways, I'll see what I can do to help!

Cuomo I'm sure is doing this to keep his donors happy looking ahead (assuming he gets his fourth term as Governor in 2022) at a Presidential run in 2024 (if Trump wins) or 2028 (if the Dems win in '20). 

[RR503]

39 minutes ago, Wallyhorse said:

Cuomo I'm sure is doing this to keep his donors happy looking ahead (assuming he gets his fourth term as Governor in 2022) at a Presidential run in 2024 (if Trump wins) or 2028 (if the Dems win in '20). 

If you’d read the article, you’d see that this effort has everything to do with ego and nothing to do with political machinations.

I also don’t think Cuomo is keen on higher office. He likely realizes that Governor is the most powerful he will get, so it’s ever more imperative that he undermine anyone around him who is able to get even the smallest amount of good press.

[Uncle Floyd Fan]

This is quite unfortunate to hear about. Gov Cuomo has a reputation of usurping the very people he has hired to improve the MTA and then 'gives additional powers' to yes men and women on his crony-filled board.

Perhaps this form letter can be used when communicating with the various elected (and perhaps appointed) officials who might be able to influence or keep in check the very unilateral moves of Gov Cuomo:

 

Dear Honorable ((name of rep here)):

It has come to my attention through an interview of Governor Cuomo by Brian Lerher on WNYC radio that the Governor is seeking to reduce the decision-making and management capacity of NYC Transit Chairman Andy Byford. Mr. Byford has taken many steps to improve the quality of service of the NYC Transit system. He has generally received positive reviews from commuters and MTA employees, alike. Mr. Byford's past work with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has been quite laudable. As a lifelong New Yorker, I'd like to see Mr. Byford continue to make improvements in the NYC Transit infrastructure (in the same way Mr. Byford helped to improve the TTC) without any interference or negative character influence from Gov. Cuomo or his board members.

As a constituent in your district, I hope you can help in allowing Mr. Byford to continue his work, while also taking steps to monitor and control any negative activities the Governor or some of the MTA board members might take. I am genuinely concerned about the underlying plans which may come about from outside consultants like Alix Partners in undoing the achievements of Mr. Byford, while also bringing about the possibility of staff reductions and service reductions within the NYC Transit system.

It is at this time that I ask you, ((name of rep here)), to monitor, influence and speak up about this matter so the achievements obtained thus far are not lost to the one-sided actions of Gov. Cuomo and his board.

Please feel free to reach out to me at ((insert email here)) or at ((insert phone number here)) regarding any additional information you may need from me.  I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding this urgent matter.

Thank you and kind regards, 

 

 

((insert your name here))

[LGA Link N Train]

@Uncle Floyd Fan Are we free to use this as a Template? 

[MysteriousBtrain]

I been busy with life lately but when I get the chance I'll be sure to share this with everyone I know.

[Uncle Floyd Fan]

@LaGuardia Link N Tra - Sure can. By all means.

If you wish, you (or anyone else on here) can add, delete, or otherwise alter the template I pasted above.

Cuomo has been manipulating many of the MTA services based on influence from his patron$.

While I try to keep my complaints to a minimum, I joined this forum once I heard about the various bus route reorgs and wanted to contribute to the forum where suitable. It helps to write to our elected and appointed leaders to remind them that people can organize to achieve a desired outcome. In this instance, we want the Gov to not meddle with the high-level managers he brought into the MTA system in order to properly manage it. 

[T to Dyre Avenue]

@Uncle Floyd Fan, thank you so much for providing this template. I tried this morning to compose my own letter, but at my job in civil court, I don’t really have a whole lot of time to do stuff like this, so the template really helped. So far, I’ve emailed my local Assemblyman and State Senator (respectively, Edward C. Braunstein and John Liu) my City Councilman (Paul Vallone) and Council Speaker Corey Johnson. 

While I try to keep my complaints to a minimum, I joined this forum once I heard about the various bus route reorgs and wanted to contribute to the forum where suitable. It helps to write to our elected and appointed leaders to remind them that people can organize to achieve a desired outcome. In this instance, we want the Gov to not meddle with the high-level managers he brought into the MTA system in order to properly manage it.

Fully agreed. If you’re going to bring people to properly (and professionally) manage the MTA (or any other government agency for that matter), then you step back and let them manage. Governor Cuomo has failed big on that. You don’t come in and micromanage, like he’s been doing for almost the entire time Andy Byford’s been here. Makes me wonder what Ontario Premier Doug Ford would do, if Byford was still in Toronto heading up the TTC.

Edited July 1, 2019 by T to Dyre Avenue

[kosciusko]

8 hours ago, Wallyhorse said:

(assuming he gets his fourth term as Governor in 2022)

Andrew Cuomo is going to be gov. for life at this point.

[Uncle Floyd Fan]

1 hour ago, T to Dyre Avenue said:

hank you so much for providing this template. I tried this morning to compose my own letter, but at my job in civil court, I don’t really have a whole lot of time to do stuff like this, so the template really helped. So far, I’ve emailed my local Assemblyman and State Senator (respectively, Edward C. Braunstein and John Liu) my City Councilman (Paul Vallone) and Council Speaker Corey Johnson. 

@T to Dyre Avenue - Glad I could help. Sometimes I get a break in the action at work and a form letter like this will come to my mind. Part of my job these last few years has been writing dry specifications for developers and liaising with the 'business users' (my job is almost like "Office Space 2020"). A form letter actually breaks up the monotony at work.

I wrote to David Weprin, John Liu, and Barry Grodenchik as a start. Let's see if they will at a minimum read the emails and perhaps communicate to a Cuomo liaison the concerns of the constituents, be they MTA employees or everyday commuters.

1 hour ago, T to Dyre Avenue said:

Makes me wonder what Ontario Premier Doug Ford would do, if Byford was still in Toronto heading up the TTC.

Oh, those Ford brothers were /are something else. I heard they could be vicious at times. It seems Doug Ford wants greater control over the TTC and is looking to spend money up there. I'm not too familiar with the machinations of Ontario politics, but the comments on CBC.CA seem to indicate 'following the money'.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-toronto-subway-upload-gta-transit-plan-1.5090394

[Mysterious2train]

On 6/30/2019 at 8:24 PM, Union Tpke said:

Key people to contact:

- William B. Magnarelli head of the Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation MagnarW@nyassembly.gov

--Timothy M. Kennedy head of the Senate Transportation Committee kennedy@nysenate.gov

Your State Senator https://www.nysenate.gov/registration/nojs/form/start/find-my-senator

Your State Assemblymember: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

Your City Councilmember: https://council.nyc.gov/districts/

The Public Advocate: gethelp@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

Speaker of the City Council: SpeakerJohnson@council.nyc.gov

Mayor DeBlasio (like it will do anything): https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/mayor-contact.page

Governor (good luck): https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

Don't forget Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Senator Leroy Comrie who are the chairs of the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions committees in the Assembly and Senate (respectively). Those committees also have oversight over the MTA (in addition to the Transportation committees) and all appointments to the MTA board have to pass through the Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions committee (in addition to the Senate Finance and Transportation committees). 

https://nyassembly.gov/comm/?id=9

https://www.nysenate.gov/committees/corporations-authorities-and-commissions

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Amy-Paulin

https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/leroy-comrie

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by Mysterious2train

[WestFarms36]

This abhorrently disgusting, we all need to stand up to this. Cuomo's bullshit has to end ASAP. Splitting Buses and Subways would create a logistical hell, this plan is nothing but a disgrace to New York. These actions behind closed doors are nothing but an embarassment, a disgust, we have to all come together as people in this forum and stand up to this. This can affect employees from the very top executive, down to the cleaners, this is something we have to root for, we cannot waste any time on this and we have to show that we are against this political shit-show, lets get on contacting our Borough President, Council Members, our Mayor (even though its unlikely he'll do squat as he is pandering in running for president), Community Boards, State Legislature's, and even bring this to the courts if necessary. This is something that can pose us the riders at risk from the positive changes that a talented man has done to modernize NYCT. We have to fight as people, we need to make sure that these elected officials see that us as their constituents are highly concerned, and against the big problems that this could bring to us. Andy Byford is ours to lead, the Governor needs to learn how to stop being a baby, and coming from a man who speaks about Trump being immature, and disgusting, I'd also forward that back to Cuomo, because he has held on to power for long, has not given a shit about the  Until 2016 came around and saw things were plummeting to hell, same ass-hole who diverted funds from the  to upstate ski resorts that had a bad winter. This man disgusts me, we need to stand up to this, we have to make sure that this does not go through, and seek every avenue of legal protections to make sure Cuomo does not circumvent his nasty and dirty ol' political grooves through the board. Please treat this as an immediate case, we have 29 days to act upon this and every day should count! This cannot continue any longer, and I wish that this state had term limits to make sure something like this would be avoided from a public servant. For now we have to work from the basics, make an alliance, get together and fight this as one team. @Via Garibaldi 8 Already has an Express Bus Advocacy Group, now we have to get together and make an Advocacy Group for this matter, get together, circulate letters to communities, and let our riding public aware of the real situation here.

[N6 Limited]

Cuo-mo has got to go!</chant> 

Really, we're actually seeing improvements and he's gonna pull this?

[bobtehpanda]

I don't actually live in this city anymore, but I wish you all the best of luck.

What is Riders' Alliance up to these days?

[WestFarms36]

Who knows, it is just Day 2 of this disgrace, we just got to group together and fight for this.

[T to Dyre Avenue]

5 hours ago, N6 Limited said:

Cuo-mo has got to go!</chant> 

Really, we're actually seeing improvements and he's gonna pull this?

Not to mention the cost of his boondoggle LGA Air Train has ballooned to over $2 Billion AND he wants the  to contribute to the hyper-inflated cost.

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by T to Dyre Avenue