Steps to full service restoration in the New York City area

[daveklepper]

Jack May rode the Low-V train, Grand Central - 161st ST., which was followed by the Train-of-Many-Colors, on the Yankee Stadium Opening day, and sends these photos:

 

 

 I've just gotten the scans for a few rolls of slides back from the processor.  I'm sending these images

first as they are apropos of Saturday evening, when Clare and I went to the movies and saw It Ain't

Over [till it's over], the new Yogi Berra bioptic.  We enjoyed it very much, especially the scenes at

Yankee Stadium (my old neighborhood) where Yogi played baseball, and Montclair (my new--for the

last 53 years--neighborhood/town), where Yogi retired to (specifically at the end of a fork in the road). 

I think it's worth seeing, especially if you're interested in baseball or just for nostalgia. There were

even one or two scenes showing the 161st Street IRT subway station. 

I took these at that station on opening day at the new stadium a little over a month ago. 

I even rode the Lo-Vs up to 161st Street from Grand Central on that day, March 30. 

The train was very crowded and it was followed by the "train of many colors" that took

on the overload.  Anyway, I hope you will enjoy these views. 

Jack

 

 

 

[daveklepper]

As a Follolw-up. Jack sends earlier photos from special nostalgia-trip trains that he chased instead of riding.  At Neck Road on the Brighton Line, BU elevated cars, B-types, R!-R9s, and two R10s with an R16:

On the Jerome Avenue Line, the Low-V train, first photo southbound seen from Moshulu Parkway station, and then shown laying-over on the Yard Lead seen from Bedford Avenue station and passed by R142 trains.

[MidlandMike]

daveklepper

As a Follolw-up. Jack sends earlier photos from special nostalgia-trip trains that he chased instead of riding.  At Neck Road on the Brighton Line, BU elevated cars, B-types, R!-R9s, and two R10s with an R16:

 

Are these the elevated BU cars?  What does BU stand for?  About what year was this taken?  Did those cars come from the Transit museum, the open platforms really look ancient.

[daveklepper]

Brooklyn United Railways - then Brooklyn Rapid Transit, then, after reorganization following the Malbone Street disaster, Brooklyn Manhattan Transit.

Cars built around 1897-1899. originally for use behind steam.  Electrified as MUs 1902-1904.  Extensively rebuilt to Q-Typ;es in 1938, enclosed ends with no vestibules, two sxliding doors ech side, M U door control.   1949, rationalization of Queens service, Astoria all BMT with 10-ft.-wide cars, Flushing all-IRT, original trucks removed, and lighter trucks from IRT composite carfs installed for 3rd  Avenue Elevated sdervice.  1955, end of 3rd Av. El., roofs lowere for service on the Myrle Av. El.  this Century redbuilt again as open-platform gate cars for the Museum and for Nostalgia-Train service. 

 

[MidlandMike]

daveklepper

Extensively rebuilt to Q-Typ;es in 1938, enclosed ends with no vestibules, two sxliding doors ech side, M U door control. 

Were those sliding doors cut toward the middle of the car?  If they were, they sure did a nice job of rebuilding the cars.

[daveklepper]

The wood 1200s, half that fleet, were rebuilt to the Q-types for BMT service on the Joint-with-IRT Astoria and Flushing Lines, replacing the 1906 composite open-platform gate cars with convertable sides, in time for the NYC 1939-1940 Words Fair.

BMT still had a number not rerbuilt.  Here they are most of the cars southbound south of Metropolitan Avenue in winter 1947-48 on the Myrtle Avenue Line:

[daveklepper]

Q-Types, upper level, northern track, pre-simplification Queensboro Plaza Station, about to leave for Flushing:

[daveklepper]

Q-types at Willets Point Blvd. Station on the Flushing Line:

 

[daveklepper]

The photos were posted without any editing, simploy the raw scans.  I* took some time to remove dirt and to correct the tilt one, but some may prefer the originals, anyway.  And I found a third.

 

[Joseph Frank]

Hello Dave

" B U "  stands actually for  BROOKLYN UNION RAILWAYS  for their Elevated Lines.   

Brooklyn Union Railway was soon absorbed into the BRT (Brooklyn Rapid Transit) which later became the BMT (Brooklyn Manhattan transit) after the infamous BRT "Malbone Street Wreck" !

 

[daveklepper]

Thanks for correcting a 91-year-old's memory.

[daveklepper]

MTA By the Numbers in 2023
As the end of the year approaches, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today unveiled the top statistics of 2023 across a variety of categories covering New York City Transit, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, including ticket sales, MetroCard swipes, and busiest stations, lines, or branches. The numbers provide a glimpse into how riders are coming back to the system as the MTA continues to power the economic recovery of the region.  The statistics are as follows:  Subway The figures below are based on data from January 1, 2023, through November 2023: ·Station with the most MetroCard swipes: Flushing-Main St  with 6.3 million swipes. ·Station with the most OMNY Taps: Grand Central-42 St  with 5.4 million taps. ·Stations with the busiest bathrooms: 74 St-Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave  and 14 St-Union Square . The statistic below is an estimate for all of 2023: ·Busiest subway line: the  train, which is on track to carry approximately 140 million passengers for the year, more than the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad combined. Buses The figures below are from January 1, 2023, through November 2023: ·Bus that carried the most passengers: The M15/M15 SBS with 16.4 million riders. ·Bus that traveled the most miles: The B6 at 1.7 million revenue miles. ·Busiest bus stop: Archer Av at Parsons Blvd in Jamaica, Queens with more than 36,000 riders per weekday. Long Island Rail Road The figures below exclude sales from Penn Station, Grand Central Madison and Jamaica station and are based on ticket sales from all sales channels from January 1, 2023 through November 2023: ·Station with the most City Tickets sold: Bayside with 242,000 sales. ·Station with the most Off-Peak tickets sold: Ronkonkoma with 656,000 sales. ·Station with the most monthly tickets sold: Hicksville with 23,000 sales. ·The branch with the most monthly tickets sold: Babylon with 120,000 sales. ·Branch with the most ridership: Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch with 10.8 million trips. Metro-North Railroad The figures below exclude sales from Grand Central Terminal and are based on ticket sales from all sales channels from January 1, 2023 through November 2023: ·Station with the most monthly tickets sold: Stamford with 18,379 sales. ·Station with the most City Tickets sold: Fordham with 301,905 sales. ·Station with the most Off-Peak tickets sold: Harlem-125 St with 576,590 sales. ·Line with the most ridership: New Haven Line with 26.1 million trips.
	Top of Form Randy Glucksman (randy.gluc... Bottom of Form THanks Sans Serif

 

 

 

[daveklepper]

If you have problems reading the full text of the previous post, use the Reply button, and you won't have the problems.   Thanks

[daveklepper]

MTA Installs Platform Barriers at 191 St 1 Station

Platform Barrier Pilot Program to Include Three Additional Stations

View Videos of Platform Barriers at 191 St Station From the
Platformand From a Train

See Photos of Platform Barriers at 191 St Station

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that
MTA New York City Transit has installed barriers at the edge of the
platform at the 191 St  Station as part of a platform safety pilot
program. The 191 St Station is the first of four stations (West 8
St-NY Aquarium  Station, Clark St  Station, and a fourth station that
is to be determined) to install these barriers. New York City Transit
will study this program to determine if the concept could be scaled
up.

This pilot program is part of a larger effort by New York City Transit
to advance safety by preventing intrusion onto the tracks, which was
the focus of the track trespassing task force which was released a
report on track intrusion and potential solutions 20 months ago. New
York City Transit last year deployed safety barriers in the center of
platforms at three stations and is monitoring for effectiveness.

“This is about finding creative ways to improve safety,” said MTA
Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “A hearty pat on the back to New York City
Transit professionals who found a practical way to jump-start the
feeling -- and reality -- of safety in the subway system. It’s still
in an experimental phase, and we will be watching carefully to
determine if the barriers are effective at deterring track intrusions
without interfering with passenger circulation. If they pass the test,
we will be ready to deploy widely.”

“Safety in the subway system is something that customers consistently
cite as a core driver of their satisfaction and is a top priority for
us at New York City Transit,” said New York City Transit President
Richard Davey. “This pilot program will help us determine the most
effective ways to keep subway customers safe and focused on getting to
their destination, while also addressing track intrusion. I thank the
New York City Transit engineers and workers who designed and installed
the barriers.”

The barriers are strategically located on the platform edge, adjacent
to the tactile warning strip at locations that avoid obstructing car
doors as they open to allow customers to enter and exit the train.
Installation was completed on the uptown platform during the evening
of Friday, Jan. 19, and the downtown platform during the evening of
Saturday, Jan 20. The effort is funded with existing maintenance
resources using in-house labor and materials.

“It’s critical that we find ways to reduce the number of riders who
fall or are pushed onto subway tracks,” said Manhattan Borough
President Mark Levine. “So I applaud the MTA for this pilot, which is
a relatively quick and easy way to add protection on the platform. I
am excited to hear feedback from riders at 191st Street  on how the
railings work in practice.”

“This is a terrific move by the MTA to increase passenger safety as
well as perception of safety,” said Gridlock Sam Schwartz, Longtime
Transportation Engineer. “You could be sure I will be standing behind
these barriers where ever they are provided.”

“We applaud the ingenuity of the subways team for designing these
barriers to help prevent track intrusions and keep people on platforms
safer,” said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent
Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC). “This in-house approach
is a good low-cost, low-tech first step solution, and we look forward
to more of these kinds of efforts to help riders feel – and be – safer
underground.”

 

 

 

 

 

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[Overmod]

These things have been demonstrated and costed-down in London, and since one of the current 'wheels' in the MTA comes from that background, I don't expect the usual fribbling and mistakes of a Hochul-style incentive.

It might have been difficult to assure indexing of the 1-2-3 stock with the barrier openings with the old-fashioned 'white cars' and redbirds, but any of the newer equipment ought to be easily adapted.  On the other hand... there was that incident at 96th Street a few days ago.  The necessary precision brake control might not be something as reliable as it would be needed to be.

[daveklepper]

February 01, 2024

 

From a Governor's Announcement:

 

First Open Gangway Train into Service
and 1,000 Subway Cars Now Have Cameras

R211T Features Security Cameras Throughout the Train,

Wider Doors, Digital Screens in Every Car, and Additional

Accessibility Features

First Train to Feature Open Gangway Cars to Operate in

the United States in Modern Era Will Run on the C Line

 

[daveklepper]

MTA Announces Plan for System-Wide Safety Upgrade to Brighter LED Lighting in Every Subway Station

New York City Transit to Complete Conversion of Over 150,000 Fluorescent Light Fixtures to LED Across Subway System by Mid-2026 New LED Lighting to Enhance Station Security, Increase Visibility for Customers and Illumination for 15,000 Station Cameras View Photos of Lafayette Av Station Featuring New LEDs View Video of Event Revealing LED Conversion Project at Lafayette Av Station View Before/After B-Roll Footage of New LED Lights The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced a plan to convert all 150,000 fluorescent light fixtures across the subway system to LED lighting by the middle of 2026. This project will brighten every subway platform and mezzanine, increasing safety system-wide and enhancing the customer experience. The new LED light fixtures will also enhance illumination for 15,000 security cameras in the subway system, further increasing safety in the transit system. “By upgrading the lighting at each of our 472 subway stations, we are not only making our stations brighter and safer for customers but also reducing our costs and emissions," saidNew York City Transit President Richard Davey. "It's simple: a brighter station is a safer station. Transit crews have already upgraded the lighting at every station where we've completed a Re-NEW-Vation, and customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Soon, these benefits to the customer experience will be felt systemwide as we supercharge LED deployments in 2024.” “Increasing safety and enhancing the customer experience in stations remains a top priority for the MTA – by switching over to LED lighting, we are providing a brighter and safer look and feel to station environments for customers and transit workers,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. “Riders should rest assured that every subway station will have this brightened makeover.” “We’re delivering on our promise to upgrade and modernize every New York City subway station,” said New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “I want to thank the dedicated transit workers who have been diligently installing these new highly efficient LEDs in stations across the system, which will make our system even safer for customers and more sustainable.” This project began in late January 2024 at Bergen St , followed by Carroll St , and most recently at Lafayette Av , where New York City Transit officials unveiled the new station lighting. The project will also generate an estimated $5.9 million in annual recurring energy and material cost savings. It follows on the footsteps of the Authority’s Re-NEW-Vation project, which includes station-wide repairs, enhancements, and deep cleanings across the subway system. Since the beginning of the Re-NEW-Vation project, 63 stations have been upgraded. In October of 2023, NYCT celebrated its accomplishment of completing a promised 50 Re-NEW-vated stations before the end of 2023. In all, 53 stations were renovated in 2023, the first full year of the program. NYCT will complete upgrades, repairs, and deep cleanings at 13 more subway stations in the first quarter of 2024.

 

 

 

[daveklepper]

State to Expand Subway Outreach Initiative, Program Will Operate in Addition to Safe Options Support Teams View Photos from Today's News Conference View Video from Today's News Conference     Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a five-point plan to utilize state resources to protect New Yorkers on the subways. This includes surging State personnel to assist NYPD bag checks, a new program bill that would permit transit bans for individuals that assault other passengers, adding new cameras to protect conductor cabins, increasing coordination between District Attorneys and law enforcement, and increasing the number of Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams throughout the system – which will operate in addition to the existing Safe Options Support (SOS) teams. These actions build on the Governor’s unprecedented investment in safety on the subways, from standing up SOS teams to directing the MTA to install cameras in every subway car. Governor Hochul also called on judges to use their expanded discretion to set bail to keep repeat offenders off the streets.   “Since taking office, I have been laser-focused on driving down subway crime and protecting New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "My five-point plan will rid our subways of violent offenders and protect all commuters and transit workers. I am sending a message to all New Yorkers: I will not stop working to keep you safe and restore your peace of mind whenever you walk through those turnstiles."    Governor Hochul’s five-point plan includes:   Additional State Personnel to Assist NYPD   To supplement the NYPD’s enhanced baggage checks at heavily trafficked areas, Governor Hochul is deploying 1,000 members of State personnel to assist the NYPD’s mission to further this effort. This includes 250 members from the New York State Police and the MTA Police Department. In addition, Governor Hochul is directing the National Guard to make the 750 members currently deployed on Joint Task Force Empire Shield available to supplement this effort under the supervision of law enforcement. These checks will be targeted at heavily trafficked locations.   New Program Bill to Ban Assaulters of Commuters and Transit Workers Governor Hochul today announced a new program bill that will allow judges to ban people convicted of an assault within the system from using MTA services as part of sentencing. There is currently a provision that allows a transit ban as a term of sentencing for individuals who assault transit workers, and under Governor Hochul’s plan, this same provision would be extended to include assaults of anyone within the system.   Improving Coordination Between Law Enforcement and District Attorneys To improve coordination between law enforcement, transit personnel and district attorneys, Governor Hochul will initiate regular meetings between stakeholders to coordinate information sharing regarding holding dangerous, repeat offenders within the system accountable. This will assist district attorneys with their casework and support existing efforts to keep violent offenders off the streets and out of the subways. The first meeting will take place next week, and will be held regularly to ensure sustained coordination. To assist with this process, the MTA will also hire a new Criminal Justice Advocate to assist the victims of crime in the system, and MTAPD will develop a new early warning system to flag recidivist offenders for district attorney offices during booking processes.    New Cameras to Protect Conductors and Staff Building on Governor Hochul’s announcement that MTA is accelerating the installation of cameras inside customer areas of trains, today Governor Hochul is announcing the installation of new cameras focused on conductor cabins to protect workers. These cameras will significantly assist law enforcement personnel as they search for assailants targeting transit workers. Governor Hochul is directing MTA to rapidly deploy these cameras throughout the system.   $20 Million to Expand the SCOUT Pilot in Addition to the SOS Program Since January, MTA has deployed a SCOUT team pilot program in partnership with New York City, in addition to the successful SOS teams across the subway system, established and supported by Governor Hochul. SCOUT teams have the capacity to address the most severe cases of mental health crisis within the subway system, and assist New Yorkers in gaining access to mental health treatment and supportive housing. Governor Hochul is directing $20 million to rapidly scale this pilot and bring the total number of SCOUT teams to ten by the end of 2025.   MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “Since last year, we’ve installed thousands of new cameras within stations and on-board trains – adding to our already-vast network of 10,000 devices, which have been proven time and time again to lead to police apprehensions and even deter crime. And now, we’re moving forward with cameras in conductor cabs to address the risks our brave conductors and operators are facing. We can’t afford to not act. The transit system is too important to the City and region to allow the perception of safety, or lack of it, to scare people away.”   State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James said, “I commend Governor Hochul for putting forth this comprehensive plan to improve the safety of our subway system. Collectively, with our law enforcement partners, we can tackle this problem and ensure a safer New York for all.”   MTAPD Chief of Operations Thomas Taffe said, “I know that a focus on reducing the fear of crime is as important as reducing crime itself. We now have officers at commuter hubs in all five boroughs, officers working overnight clearing trains, working with homeless outreach partners across different agencies in all corners of the city. We’re focused on using data to respond to the issues that most affect riders – feelings of disorder, fare evasion, and persons acting violently in emotional distress.”   Adjutant General of the New York National Guard Major General Ray Shields said, “The service members of the New York National Guard are always ready to assist our partners as they ensure the safety and security of our fellow citizens.”   Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “New York’s subways are the beating heart that keeps our city moving, and the safety of riders and MTA employees is a top priority for my office. The comprehensive plan proposed by Governor Hochul will help us achieve that goal and I thank her for the leadership and ongoing commitment to public safety. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with all of our partners to fight crime on public transportation.”   Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said, “A safe and fully functioning mass transit system is indispensable to life in and around New York City. For the tens of thousands of Staten Islanders who rely on our local and express buses, ferries and the ferry terminals, and the Staten Island Railroad to get to work, to school, to care for a loved one or to merely run their daily errands, they deserve nothing less than the safest experience possible. I am grateful to Governor Hochul for the efforts being announced today; it is welcome news for all Staten Islanders. My team is eager to work with these new personnel and new technologies to both keep repeat violent offenders off our buses and trains, and to build the strongest possible cases against those who break the law and harm our quality of life. In the year ahead, I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Hochul on vital public safety priorities like this not only in the New York City region, but across the state on behalf of the District Attorneys Association of New York as well.”

 

 

 

 

 

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[daveklepper]

Rather than spending much time to edit, I ask you to simoly use your reply button bto have the full btext without bhaving characters beyond the margine.

Apologize to you  and  thankyou.

[daveklepper]

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will use a $2
million federal grant to test an automated railcar inspection system
on its commuter railroad in New York and Connecticut, which it said
will provide “early detections of existing and future defects,
allowing conditions to be addressed immediately, reducing repair and
replacement time.”

The pilot project for MTA Metro-North Railroad is one of 34 projects
selected for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT)
Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART)
Grants program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. USDOT earlier this month
announced the awards for Stage 1 of SMART’s two-stage program, which
includes planning and prototyping. The Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act (IIJA) established this discretionary grant program with $100
million appropriated annually for FY 2022-2026. The aim is to fund
projects that “focus on advanced smart community technologies and
systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety.”

MTA on March 20 reported that the automated system will permit
Metro-North to conduct daily Federal Railroad Administration-mandated
railcar inspections “more efficiently.” The system is slated to use a
suite of sensors and software to create automated alerts of
“undesirable conditions,” according to USDOT.

Used in addition to manual inspections, the automated system will
“allow for more proactive rolling stock maintenance, which will save
money and reduce impacts to customers,” MTA explained.

Metro-North is always looking for opportunities to innovate and be
more efficient in how we maintain our systems and equipment and
provide service to our customers,” Metro-North Railroad President
Catherine Rinaldi said. “With federal funding from SMART, we can
explore new industry advancements to improve our maintenance
practices, which will enhance the safety and overall reliability of
our service.”

Following are among the other rail-related projects that were awarded
SMART grants:

$2 million to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(LACMTA) for the Rail Crossing Gate Optimization Project, which will
“upgrade rail crossing gate detectors with wireless technology and
improve detection of pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists to reduce
unnecessary gate downtime.”

$2 million to San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) for
the BART Leveraging GTFS Pathways for Improved Wayfinding and
Accessibility project, which will “deploy digital wayfinding aids and
station facility information, integrated and shared through
public-facing endpoints in an open data standard.”

$1.6 million to New Jersey Transit (NJT) for the Artificial
Intelligence for Light Rail and Grade Crossing Safety project, which
will “install AI video analytics to improve detection and safety at
at-grade light rail crossings to inform safety countermeasures.”

 $1.3 million to Southern California Regional Rail Authority
(Metrolink) for the Smart Track Intrusion Systems and Positive Train
Control project, which will “deploy AI for track intrusion detection,
paired with positive train control.