Subway Tips and Anniversary

[daveklepper]

Glad to assist in my own way.  What ever way you wish.  Or way ehough?  Or is it weigh enough?  (The nautical term)

[daveklepper]

 

Pictures of the Distribution Are Available Here

Video of the distribution Is Available Here

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today helped distribute 47,484 COVID-19 testing kits to 106 nursing homes across New York City as well as personal protective equipment nursing home staff will use when administering the tests. Members of the MTA Police Department, New York City Transit, MTA Bridges and Tunnels and the MTA Bus Company worked alongside the National Guard to deliver the supplies, which were provided by New York State.

 

“MTA employees are known as #HeroesMovingHeroes because they run the trains and buses that get essential employees where they need to go to fight the pandemic, but our employees are also working behind the scenes in many ways, and this is one important one,” said MTA Chief Safety Officer Patrick Warren. “Helping to distribute crucial supplies, like COVID-19 testing kits, is one of the ways MTA employees are rising above and beyond the call of duty to help wherever they can during the pandemic. Their continued work shows their commitment to all New Yorkers.”

 

In addition to the COVID-19 Testing Kits, the MTA helped to distribute: 3,074 face shields, 2,120 gowns, 2,120 N95 masks, 2,400 pairs of gloves, and 5,194 coolers for shipment of test specimens. The New York State Department of Transportation dropped off the materials to the MTA’s central PPE storage warehouse in the Bronx over the weekend before being driven today by MTA employees and members of the National Guard to nursing homes in Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.

 

As an international leader among transportation agencies, the MTA has also distributed millions of pieces of personal protective equipment to its own workforce since March 1, including more than four million pairs of gloves and nearly two million masks. The agency will continue to aggressive work to protect employees.

 

 

[daveklepper]

 

Positioning, The Next Generation

 

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief

 

 

Former MTA New York City Transit Vice President Network and Resignaling Pete Tomlin. William C. Vantuono Photo.

 

Among the final duties that former MTA New York City Transit Vice President Network and Resignaling Pete Tomlin discharged before he left the agency following Andy Byford’s resignation as President was demonstrating an innovative piece of new technology—UWB (Ultra-Wide Band), wireless technology that offers faster and less-expensive installation of modern CBTC (communications-based train control) by eliminating much of the onboard and wayside equipment traditionally required for advanced-technology signaling. Tomlin—arguably one of the finest signaling and train control people on the planet—collaborated with suppliers Thales and Piper Networks in an impressive public demonstration of UWB.

 

NYCT’s UWB proof-of-concept was the culmination of a pilot program on the Flushing (7) Line that came together in only nine months, thanks to Tomlin’s expertise and that of Thales, Piper Networks and MTA Chief Innovation Officer Mark Dowd. UWB traces its roots to the MTA’s Genius Transit Challenge program, launched in 2017, which “challenged leading companies from around the world to improve subway signals, capacity and communications for the future.”

 

In March 2019, the NYCT awarded Thales and Piper a contract for a UWB-based Train Control System Pilot Program on the Flushing Line. At the same time, NYCT awarded Siemens and Humatics a contract for a UWB pilot on the Canarsie (L) Line. The pilot’s scope involved preparing UWB for safety certification. It consisted of nine months of testing and collecting 2,500 hours of operational data. An automated data upload facility at NYCT’s Corona Yard enabled Cloud-based processing of all collected sensor data from the line that can be compared with data from the CBTC system and a LiDAR (light detection and ranging)-based “ground truth” digital map.

 

 

The Thales/Piper UWB system employs five conveniently located onboard sensors. There is no undercarriage equipment. Thales illustration.

 

Four trainsets on the Flushing Line, one of two lines equipped with CBTC, were outfitted with the Thales’ CBTC system that integrates Piper’s UWB technology. Four on the Canarsie Line were outfitted with a Siemens CBTC system that integrates Humatics UWB technology.

 

The Flushing Line demonstration took place on the center express track between the 61 Street/Woodside and 40th Street stations. The demo “showed the potential of an even more precise positioning system, UWB, to improve system performance and recovery,” NYCT noted. “The pilot proved it could also help accelerate the implementation of CBTC.” Additionally, UWB technology is installed on the wayside rather than directly on the railbed, so “it could be considerably easier for NYCT personnel to maintain in the long term and cut down on delays stemming from malfunctioning track-borne equipment.”

Thales Vice President Research and Innovation Walter Kinio explains how UWB determines train position and velocity with a high degree of accuracy. William C.

 

 

 

Vantuono photo.

 

 

 

Key advantages and features of UWB:

 

• Rapid implementation, achieved through a reduction of onboard equipment by elimination of vehicle undercarriage installation. This could enable NYCT to modernize aging subway infrastructure on an accelerated timeline.

 

• Improved train positioning accuracy, called NGP (Next-Generation Positioning), achieved through utilization of modern onboard sensors including UWB radios. The UWB test runs are used to evaluate the accuracy and fault tolerance of the NGP system. Each end-of-the-test train is equipped with a Thales Vehicle On Board Computer (VOBC), part of the CBTC system, integrated with the NGP sensors.

William C. Vantuono photo.

 

 

 

• Accelerated start-up position initialization. The NGP system is described as “highly tolerant of equipment or sensor failures without impacting overall function.” Upon power-up and initialization, the NGP system tells the onboard controller precisely where it is located, enabling a train to initialize and engage Automatic Train Operation (ATO) faster than current-generation CBTC systems.

 

• High accuracy and availability: NGP provides greater positional accuracy and can support much greater separation between wayside landmarks. This means that future CBTC systems based on this technology will support more precise station stopping accuracy and will be able to travel a greater distance between wayside landmarks. If inputs from sensors or UWB controllers at one end of the train fail, the system can seamlessly switch over to inputs from the other end of the train.

“We took an exciting step in safety certifying Piper’s Ultra-Wide Band technology for the MTA, and we’re looking forward to rolling out this technology across other subway lines as part of the Fast Forward program.” — Robert Hanczor, CEO, Piper Networks. William C.

 

 

 

Vantuono photo.

 

There are five high-tech components/sensors integrated with Thales’ NGP systems:

 

• UWB, a type of radio communications that uses a very low amount of energy with short-range, high-bandwidth waves employing a wide range of the radio spectrum. NYCT’s Flushing Line system uses Piper onboard UWB radios and controllers and Piper UWB wayside “anchors.” The NGP system uses UWB to receive location updates every 100 milliseconds.

 

William C. Vantuono photo.NYCT photo.

 

 

 

• IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units) that detect changes in speed and direction with an “extraordinary” level of accuracy. The NGP system uses the IMU for inertial navigation and orientation verification.

 

• Radar (radio detection and ranging). Radar, which uses radio waves to measure the distance and speed of objects, is employed by the NGP system for speed measurement and zero speed/stationary status.

NYCT R-188 outfitted with UWB equipment. Joseph M. Calisi photo.

 

 

 

• LiDAR, which uses pulsed laser light to measure distance with high precision to any targets within range to create a dense 3D map of its surroundings. LiDAR was used to scan the route and create a “ground truth” digital map that the positioning system data can be compared with.

 

• High-definition camera: Using advanced image processing techniques, the camera can detect objects such as rails, wayside equipment or trackside workers. These functions are still in the preliminary testing phase.

 

A weather-resistant transponder for NYCT’s CBTC system on the Flushing Line. Joseph M. Calisi photo.

 

 

 

“All of these features will contribute to faster system deployment and more reliable service with fewer delays for our passengers,” NYCT notes.

 

“Thanks to this partnership with NYCT, we’re delivering cutting-edge technology as we test the next generation of train positioning,” said Dominique Gaiardo, Thales Vice President and Managing Director for Urban Rail Signaling. “Thales has integrated modern onboard sensors with a UWB network to create an enhanced next-generation positioning system for our CBTC digital signaling architecture. The new system has higher accuracy, resiliency and availability, and is quicker to deploy than current-generation products.”

 

“We took an exciting step in safety certifying Piper’s Ultra-Wide Band technology for the MTA, and we’re looking forward to rolling out this technology across other subway lines as part of the Fast Forward program,” said Robert Hanczor, CEO of Piper Networks. “Together with our partner Thales, we worked closely with the NYCT leadership team, who continually demonstrated their desire to support new technology providers and encourage innovation in the transit sector.”

Pete Tomlin graphic.

 

 

 

NYCT said it “will take the lessons learned from CBTC implementation on the Flushing Line and incorporate industry best practices to improve and expedite future implementation on other subway line corridors, including better costing estimates, formalized personnel structure and responsibilities, enhanced project and contractor monitoring, more frequent surveys and enhanced attention on subway car interfacing. NYCT has created a new database to capture cross-discipline feedback and information from CBTC projects to better-track such valuable information to help improve future CBTC processes.”

 

All this may be a tall order for NYCT following the loss of Pete Tomlin and Andy Byford. No doubt, high-tech projects such as UWB require innovative suppliers like Thales, Piper, Siemens and Humatics, skilled engineering consultants like Parsons Transportation Group and others, and NYCT’s equally skilled and dedicated workers. But they also require strong, focused leadership at the agency level, one or more “champions” who can get the job done, providing motivation and guidance.

Wayside installation on the Flushing Line. Pete Tomlin photo.

 

 

 

[Overmod]

Mr. Klepper, all you had to do was link to the darn Railway Age article.  It was mostly copied from press-release flackery; I suspect Mr. Vantuono is largely ignorant of modern broadband protocol details and it kinda shows in the article.

Giving Kinio's actual explanation of UWB integration, rather than just referring to it in a photo caption, would have been highly interesting.  But of course that would require actual journalism followed by actual technical-fact-checking editing.

[daveklepper]

I have permission to post material from the Transit Authority, but posting a competitor's article on a Kalmach website is a no-no.  You may enjoy pulling up one URL after another, but I enjoy reading material directly on this website, and I believe others may also.  Also, some may wish to copy some of the photos for their own personal collections, which is easy to do on this website.  I got this from an MTA Board Member, and I assume he wished me to forward it as prolifically as possible.

I do respect the technical expertese that Railway Age demonstrates and also find it on those occasions when Trains publishes a tecnnical article, like the great one on solving the double-stack derailment problem, which I  doubt Railway Age would dare publish.

[daveklepper]

Cnsidering who sent the posting to me via regular email, I did not catch the Railway Age connection, and ask the moderator to remove the posting if I am violating policy.  I should have checked the author.

Having posted it, I am reluctant to remove it unless necessary.  I do believe it has already been widely destributed beyond Railway Age's own readership.

[Overmod]

There is no real reason to remove it; I'd assumed it came from the source and not via e-mail -- the 'photos pending' probably in retrospect a tip-off this wasn't from the Railway Age site.

There is, however, a sort of reminder here: when you see flack language in a piece of source material, it's probably wiser to take a few notes and briefly paraphrase, rather than post at length verbatim.

I had a brief chuckle at the assertstion that UWB was a result of the TA's initiative towards better CBTC technology in 2017.  While I confess I was more in the WiMedia camp in the mid-2000s (seeing the same disaster in physical layer that we got in ATSC DTV instead of using some flavor of OFDM) the idea of standardized ultrawideband is far from new.  On the other hand, it's fully possible that the TA was influential in some way in reviving formal interest in a new 'ultrawideband alliance', which was established in the fall of 2018.

[daveklepper]

The only real reason I did not excerpt was to make the full set of photographs available to those who may wish to preserve them in their files.  They are high-quality photos.  Otherwise, I agree with you and generally do what you suggest.

[daveklepper]

 

« Back to Inbox           More Actions... Mark as read Mark as unread Add star Remove star Mute   ‹ Newer 6 of hundreds Older ›  Print     New window  MTA To End Overnight For Hire Vehicle Program    Inbox        August 21, 2020 MTA To End Overnight For Hire Vehicle Program New Bus Routes Will Help Customers Adjust To Program's End Premium Program To Cease Operations On August 30    Citing high costs amid a historic fiscal crisis, the MTA today announced that its temporary overnight For Hire Vehicle (FHV) program will cease operations, effective August 30 at 5:00 a.m. The premium program was launched as an alternative to overnight subway service, which officials suspended so that subway cars and stations could be disinfected and cleaned more thoroughly in the overnight hours during the pandemic. It served a limited number of customers who faced excessively lengthy trips as a result of closing the subway overnight.   To assist those customers impacted by the cessation of the program, the MTA has added a trio of bus routes that largely mirror some of the more frequented trips that overnight FHV program users have been taking since the program launched in May. Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road will also cross-honor fares from stations in NYC during overnight hours when the subway is closed.   "At the height of the pandemic, it was critically important to ensure essential workers who were subway-dependent could get to overnight shifts reliably, and without spending considerably more time on their commute than they were used to," said Sarah Feinberg, New York City Transit Interim President. "We are proud of how quickly and efficiently we were able to stand up a program of this magnitude. Given our significant financial challenges, we are unfortunately no longer able to provide this service to the limited number of people it was serving sporadically, and the even smaller population it was serving regularly. We have recently added three new bus routes - all of which we believe will significantly assist our overnight passengers in this transition."  Since the program began, roughly 1,500 customers have been using the service per night. The program has cost the MTA over $6 million, with the average cost per trip being $49. The vast majority of those who previously took the subway during the overnight hours have adapted by taking a range of different MTA buses. In addition to running its standard round-the-clock bus routes, the MTA added three new interborough express options--the B99, the M99 and the Bx99. Those routes were designed based on data that riders from the program voluntarily provided when using the service.   The B99 connects Midwood in Brooklyn to Midtown West and follows a similar route to the  train. The Bx99 connects the Woodlawn section of the Bronx with Manhattan's West Village. The route travels on Jerome Avenue and down the east side of Manhattan much like the  train does. It then crosses west on 57th Street and travels south to the West Village. The new M99 route runs between East New York, Brooklyn and Hell's Kitchen, via 14th Street in Manhattan.

 

[Overmod]

There has to be some way to cite these stories so they can be linked on a phone and not rendered with their right-hand sides inaccessible and invisible.

Note the recent discussion in abother thread about setting up on-demand small bus transit service in communities that cannot support scheduled bus service.  Here is what happens if you give savvy New Yorkers access to such a resource...

What came almost immediately to mind was something Columbia set up in the transit strike of the early '80s, a shuttle bus service that ran up from somewhere downtown to somewhere around 116th ... I find I can't remember exactly how it was routed.  But it was something to behold drivers working extreme traffic in the afternoons going southbound, with inches of clearance on big MCI tag-axle buses.  How much that cost them is something I never wanted to know...

[daveklepper]

Regarding your first comment, the website needs repair so what one sees when posting is what one sees after posting.  Anyway, I went back and used the edit button to make the right side acessable, with the material in the thread but just not seen before the edit, but at the price of unwanted forced space between lines .

[daveklepper]

MTA Completes Major Switch Replacement Work on 456 Lines Full Service Resumes Between Manhattan and Brooklyn 5 a.m. Monday

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that major switch replacement work on the  lines will be completed this weekend with full service, between Manhattan and Brooklyn, to resume 5 a.m., Monday, Aug. 31.   Crews began the switch repairs on Aug. 10 focusing on the removal and reinstallation of track and track beds, as well as all the component parts that make the switches work reliably over the course of their useful life. The work required overnight and weekend suspension of  trains in Manhattan south of 42 St-Grand Central, and  trains in Brooklyn.   “We are changing the way we do construction work to reduce – and prevent – disruption for customers,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “Priority One is to fix things before they break and require emergency repairs. Then, we have to make sure projects get completed on time – especially when the work requires outages or service changes. This project was a big success by both standards.”    “Reliable switches are critical to keeping trains running on time and allows us to move around stopped trains if there is a disruption, like a rider needing medical attention,” said Frank Jezycki, Acting NYC Transit Senior VP, Department of Subways.“These past few weeks were the optimal time to do this work so we may affect the fewest amount number of riders while getting the job done safely and successfully.”   Replacing track switches at Union Square will allow the  lines to move safely between the local and express tracks at that location while providing operational flexibility, reducing delays and improving reliability. The switches were last replaced more than 20 years ago, in 1989 and 1999.   MTA Construction & Development and other departments from across NYC Transit used the track access created by this work to also perform a multitude of other reliability improvement projects, including to replace track at Canal St and Borough Hall, perform rail grinding at multiple locations and repair structural components in the tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn.   In order to maximize the efficiency of track access, MTA Construction & Development is also bundling an array of other capital improvement work on the Eastern Parkway section of the  lines, including water damage repair and prevention, concrete and rebar restoration and the relocation of light fixtures for better resiliency. Similar approaches will be taken elsewhere in the system in the coming months and years, where maintenance and capital work will benefit from a closed line segment.   The stations in Manhattan that were closed during construction hours this weekend, from 9:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, have alternate subway lines within one to four blocks. Customers are encouraged to transfer between the  and  at Lexington Av-59 St. Other transfers are available between the  and  at Lexington Av-51 St and between the  and  and the  at Grand Central.   All  stations in Brooklyn will remain open with alternate train service, in addition to robust alternate bus service in both boroughs.   Because trains must move slowly over the track switches at Grand Central, the MTA is allowing for extra time in the schedules for trains running between Lexington Av-59 St and Grand Central-42 St. As a result, customers are encouraged to transfer at Lexington Av-59 St.   Maps, fact sheets and other resources are available on the on the project’s webpage.   August 30, 2020 Front-Door Boarding on MTA Buses Resumes Aug. 31, Adding Up to 40% More Space for Social Distancing   MTA Retrofitting More than 5,800 Buses with Innovative Protective Barriers to Ensure Customer and Employee Safety    Customers Reminded to Fill MetroCards as Fare Collection Resumes; All Customers Must Wear a Mask on Public Transit – It’s the Law      MTA Launches New Front-Door Boarding Public Awareness Campaign    The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is reminding customers that front-door boarding on buses resumes on Monday, Aug. 31, opening up to 40% more space on buses for enhanced social distancing and allowing for the resumption of fare collection during the worst fiscal crisis in MTA history. Innovative new barriers, including polycarbonate sliders and vinyl curtains, are being installed to fully protect bus operators and allow more distance between the operator and customers. The MTA is continuing to equip its more than 5,800 buses with these protective barriers.     Additionally, the MTA announced it is also enhancing employee safety by moving back the white line on the bus floor, behind which riders are expected to stand providing more social distancing for the operator. Customers are reminded to refill their MetroCards as fare collection resumes. MTA Bridge and Tunnel Officers and EAGLE teams are being deployed throughout the bus system to help remind customers they must pay the fare and are required to wear a mask while on public transit.       “As we prepare for Monday, we want customers and employees to know we are doing everything we can to keep them safe – from disinfecting our buses to mandating masks to installing protective barriers for our operators,” said Sarah Feinberg, Interim President of New York City Transit. “We honor and respect our heroic frontline employees for everything they continue to do for our city. We are resuming fare collection at a time when we are facing the worst financial crisis in MTA history and we need the federal government to step up and deliver $12 billion in urgently needed funding now.”      “We are working tirelessly to implement these new features across all of our buses and we want our operators and customers to know we are constantly talking about new and creative ways to keep them safe,” said Craig Cipriano, President of MTA Bus Company and Senior Vice President of NYC Transit’s Department of Buses. “As customers take advantage of the increased social distancing on buses they should make sure to stand behind the white line to respect our operators and wear a mask. Our incredible workforce has been working day in and day out to retrofit our buses. As more customers ride our buses, we remind them they must pay the fare and we welcome them in joining us as we thank all of our heroic employees who move this city.”      The MTA is also launching an aggressive customer communications campaign to raise awareness of the resumption of front-door boarding. The multichannel campaign includes new signage that will be posted across the entire bus fleet reminding customers to pay the fare, board through the front-door of the bus and stand behind the relocated white line to increase social distancing from the bus operator. The signage will also be posted at the 50 busiest bus stops across the five boroughs. Additionally, once customers are on-board an announcement will play detailing the new measures in place. To view the new signage, click here.   The MTA continues to work around the clock to retrofit all 5,800 buses in its fleet with the new barriers. Buses may have temporary barriers in place while permanent solutions continue to be implemented.      The MTA also continues to undertake the most aggressive cleaning and disinfecting regimen in its 115-year history. To date, buses have been cleaned and disinfected 490,000 times.      During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MTA acted quickly to implement rear-door boarding on March 23 to protect frontline employees from the spread of the virus. The MTA, leading the way among transit agencies, served as a national example on employee and customer safety. Regular fare policy remained in effect wherever on-board payment boxes and SBS off-board machines continued to be accessible.      As ridership continues to increase, riders can use the MTA’s new capacity tracking feature on the MYmta app, to track in real time how many passengers are on each bus. The tool allows customers to carefully plan their trip and maximize social distancing, with 40% of the bus fleet already activated.       The MTA has equipped 360 buses on 15 routes across all five boroughs with mask dispensers. This allows customers to pull a surgical mask from the dispenser on board the bus if they have forgotten or lost their mask. Customers can find the mask dispensers on the Bx12 SBS and Bx41 SBS routes in the Bronx, the S53 local route in Staten Island, the X63, X64, and X68 express routes and the Q110, Q112 and Q64 local routes in Queens, the M15SBS in Manhattan and the X27, X28, X37, and X38 express routes and B38 local route in Brooklyn. Each dispenser holds approximately 50 surgical masks and is refilled daily.      The distribution of personal protective equipment to heroic frontline employees continues across agencies. To date, the MTA has distributed 6.7 million masks, 8.7 pairs of gloves, 59,000 gallons of hand sanitizer, 6.3 million individual sanitizing cleaning wipes, 160,000 gallons of cleaning solutions and 12,000 face shields.    The MTA is facing the worst financial crisis in its history as subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North ridership experiences greater declines than in the aftermath of the Great Depression. The MTA is urgently asking the U.S. Senate to act quickly to authorize $12 billion in MTA emergency relief funding to cover operations for 2020 and 2021. In absence of Federal action, the MTA has detailed potential options the agency would have to undertake, including an up to 40% reduction in service across subways and buses and Staten Island Railway, an up to 50% reduction in service across commuter railroads, fare and toll increases above the 4% planned in 2021 and 2023, and gutting critical 2020-2024 capital projects like the Second Avenue Subway Phase II, Metro-North Railroad Penn Station Access, additional ADA upgrades and CBTC signal modernization projects. A workforce reduction of up to 8,410 positions could occur if service cuts must be implemented. Even with these combined devastating measures, the MTA cannot close its yawning COVID-era deficits without federal aid and any further inaction from Congress could send the agency into a virtual death-spiral.

[daveklepper]

Heroic Transit Employees Commended for Saving Life of Customer at Brooklyn Subway Station

Deleted since it has been posted completely readiable below.  Thanks!

[daveklepper]

deleted

 

[Miningman]

Dave, one way to fix this problem is for you to first send it to your own email, a Gmail account works best. Gmail will automatically size it correctly and even tell you so. Then just copy and paste from your Gmail and it appears correct size on the Forum. 

[rdamon]

daveklepper

Heroic Transit Employees Commended for Saving Life of Customer at Brooklyn Subway Station

View Photos and Video of Event Top NYC Transit officials today honored the heroic efforts of two Transit employees who helped save the life of a customer at the Jay St-MetroTech station on Tuesday Sept. 8. Both employees -- Roberto Ritcher, a structure maintainer who has worked for NYC Transit for 27 years, and Cha-Nikka Cheatham, an NYC Transit station cleaner who joined the agency last year– were joined by NYC Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg and Chief Customer Officer Sarah Meyer at the station today to be commended for their bravery. Ritcher, who descended onto the tracks to save the customer, received a subway-themed poster with the message “Hero of the Subway Roberto Ritcher”. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have said that transit workers are heroes, and this is another example of that heroism,” said Sarah Feinberg, NYC Transit Interim President. “The actions of Roberto and Cha-Nikka are such a reflection of our workforce, that we have folks going on 30 years, doing this work day in and day out, and then a brand new person who knows exactly what to do and jumps in.” “Our coworkers perform acts of heroism every day that sometimes goes unnoticed,” saidSarah Meyer, NYC Transit Chief Customer Officer. “Whether it is disinfecting trains and stations around the clock, helping pass out masks or simply getting New Yorkers around the city, our frontline employees go above and beyond.” The incident happened around noon on Tuesday afternoon at the Jay St-MetroTech station. A customer lost his footing and tumbled off the Manhattan-bound  platform, hitting his head on the tracks. Ritcher and a Good Samaritan rider leapt into action to rescue the customer off the tracks, seconds before a  train rolled into the station. Cheatham immediately notified supervision to call first responders, and rushed over to help assist the customer on the platform before firefighters arrived to provide aid. Yesterday’s incident continues a tradition of Transit workers acting heroically to help fellow New Yorkers. In March, train operator Garrett Goble gave his life in the course of evacuating riders off a  train after an arsonist started a fire inside a train car. Last summer Anthony Mannino, a signal maintainer, and Larry Moreno, a train operator, helped save the life of a customer on tracks at Newkirk Plaza Station on the  line.

 

 

The other way is to look at the source-code by clicking the <> button and delete the following:

width: 650.391px;

[Overmod]

rdamon

The other way is to look at the source-code by clicking the <> button...

The what?  

If he tells us the browser and OS he is using at the time he copies and posts these, we can give him a little better insight into specific keys to press to get into code view that allows editing, and then how to search for the width spec to remove.  I am not that surprised that Kalmbach does not prioritize automatic resize: this is mostly a mobile-device accommodation and their IT publicly gave up on mobile (although this was a vaunted priority in their development when smartphones looked as though they would be a major part of 'the future' of Web browsing) years ago.  There is also the continued issue of posting other people's content inline without permission; optimizing this for display more than implies complicity if anyone were to get snippy about DMCA and the like.

Would this be of any use?

https://codebeautify.org/source-code-viewer

[rdamon]

You can see the source in the message box.

 

[Overmod]

Sheesh is that valuable!  Thanks!!

But can't we also go 'one step beyond' and fix the excessively large font size too? ... jeez, I guess not!  Looks like MTA hard-coded 12-point style nearly line-by-line!  It would take a long tedious while to redact that out...

[daveklepper]

Thanks for the help and advice.

[blue streak 1]

Have found just using ctrl + will expand it to readability then ctrl - for other readings.u

[daveklepper]

Deleted and replaced by next posting.

[daveklepper]

ate: Tue, 6 Oct 2020 16:51:02 -0400
Subject: MTA Advancing Signal, Pump System and Other Line Improvements
to Reduce Customer Impacts on Queens Boulevard Line
To:


October 06, 2020
MTA Advancing Signal, Pump System and Other Line Improvements to
Reduce Customer Impacts on Queens Boulevard Line

 CBTC Signal Modernization, Track Maintenance, Power and Lighting
Upgrades Being Performed Weekends and Weeknights

Pump System Upgrades Being Coordinated with Signal Work and
Accelerated for Early Completion; Improvements Will Help System Remain
Resilient During Major Storms

Additional Intensive Work During Long Thanksgiving Weekend and
December Holiday Week Will Bring Multi-Day Service Changes During
Period of Low Ridership

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced it is
advancing the installation of a modern signaling system and track
maintenance work along the Queens Boulevard Line, as well as other
coordinated capital improvements to the power, lighting, and pumping
systems.

In particular, the MTA is taking advantage of lower-than-normal
ridership due to the ongoing pandemic to accelerate work to improve
the reliability of the 53rd St Tube pump system, while also advancing
with the signal modernization effort, power system upgrades and
lighting improvements. Bolstering the readiness of the pump system
will help ensure the effectiveness of the pumping system in a key
tunnel under the East River during major storms. The pump system
project was originally scheduled to start in mid-2021 and is now
projected to finish a year ahead of schedule. Service changes
associated with the planned work begin this weekend.

This portion of the overarching project to modernize the line is being
funded with federal dollars allotted as part of Superstorm
Sandy-related improvements. Eventually, the broader signal
modernization and resiliency work along the line will allow more
trains to operate per hour, increasing customer capacity and enhancing
the reliability of train service on the line. MTA officials have
conducted outreach to impacted communities and to local elected
officials.
“Modernizing subway signals and hardening our system against future
weather events is critical to providing more, and better, transit
service,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction &
Development. "And by accelerating this work by almost a year, and
getting it done while ridership is low, we will minimize impacts to
riders and make sure they have a better system as they return to using
transit.”

“NYC Transit continues to coordinate necessary maintenance work with
major construction projects, allowing us to get more work done and
reduce the impact on customers,” said Sarah Feinberg, NYC Transit
Interim President. “We have already begun outreach with the
communities who use the Queens Boulevard line and we will continue to
as this work progresses.”

Work in the 53rd St Tube under the East River is set to begin late
Friday evening. This work will require changes in subway service on
select weeknights beginning at 9:45 p.m. and ending the following
weekday at 1 a.m. and weekends beginning at 9:45 p.m. on Fridays and
ending each Monday at approximately 1 a.m.*
The MTA will also take advantage of traditionally low ridership during
the Thanksgiving and end-of-December holiday periods to provide track
access in order to accelerate work and prevent future track outages.

The following schedule has been set:

E trains will run via the F line between Roosevelt Av and WEest 4 St. on
the following dates, and additional weeknights in 2021:

Oct. 9-12 Weekend
Oct. 12-16 Weeknights
Oct. 16-19 Weekend
Oct. 19-23 Weeknights
Oct. 23-26 Weekend
Nov. 20-23 Weekend
Dec. 11-14 Weekend

Over Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 25-30) and the end-of-December holiday
period (Dec. 26-Jan. 4) the 53rd St Tube will be closed and the
following service changes will be in effect:

E trains will run via the F line between Roosevelt Av and West 4 St.
M trains will run via the J line between Essex St and Chambers St on weekdays.
The following service changes will be in effect on the following
weeknights, with no subway service between 50 St-8 Av in Manhattan and
Roosevelt Av in Queens:

Dec. 7-11
Dec. 14-18
Dec. 21-24
Jan. 4-8

E trains will run between Jamaica Center and Roosevelt Av.
F trains will run in two sections; 179 St to Roosevelt Av, and 21
St-Queensbridge to Coney Island.
 and M trains will end early in Queens and Manhattan.

D trains will run local to replace via Lower Manhattan to replace F and M trains.
Shuttle Buses to serve closed stations in Queens: Roosevelt Av to
Queensboro Plaza; 21 St-Queensbridge-Queensboro Plaza - Court Square
For Manhattan service to/from Eastern Queens,  and  customers should
transfer to/from the 7 at Roosevelt Av.
For Manhattan service to/from Long Island City,  customers should use
the 7 or N at Queensboro Plaza.
The MTA will post both print and digital signage in stations, along
with announcements in stations and on trains ahead of the scheduled
work. Customer service notifications including travel alternatives
will be made on trains, posted at affected stations and posted on the
MTA website <https://new.mta.info/>, the MYmta app and social media.
Customers can also sign up for text and email alerts at
www.myMTAalerts.com <http://www.mymtaalerts.com/>.

- Hide quoted text -

*NOTE: Overnight subway service remains suspended until further notice
between 1 am and 5 am every night to facilitate system disinfecting.

[daveklepper]

ERROR

[daveklepper]

MTA Announces Acceleration of Elevator Replacement Project in Upper Manhattan

191 St Station Elevator Replacement Will Be Completed 2 Months Ahead of Schedule 181 St Elevator Project Timeline Accelerated By 3 Months Alternative Bus Service Options Available The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced early completion of elevator replacements at the 191 St station. The project will be completed later this month, two months ahead of its originally projected Feb. 2021 completion. The elevators were initially closed on Feb. 1, and on track to reopen ahead of schedule following safety, fire and operation testing. Due to the early completion of the 191 St elevators, the Authority has\ announced the acceleration of the 181 St elevator replacement project timeline. The 181 St project was slated to begin in March 2021 but is now scheduled to begin on Dec. 5 and be completed by Dec. 2021. The work at 181 St will include: Full replacement of four elevators and machine room equipment. New LiftNet system to improve incident response time. Battery back-up system that would allow customers to exit an elevator even during a power outage. Installation of CCTV and fire alarms (two cameras per elevator). Adding direct access to the northbound platform from the new elevators. “This is the new way MTA approaches projects. During the pandemic, we actually accelerated projects to get more done while ridership is low,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “With today’s milestone we have now successfully completed eight ADA elevator projects during the pandemic, and I look forward to maintaining that momentum on work throughout the MTA system.” “Our customers deserve high functioning elevators,” said Sarah Feinberg, Interim President of New York City Transit. “Since the start of this vital project, we have vowed to engage transparently with the community, and have put together a detailed plan to assist the customers who will see their commutes change due to the work.” The 181 St station opened in 1906 and is listed on the U.S. Register of Historic Places. Elevators in the station reach a depth of 122 feet below ground. The elevator replacement work is part of broader elevator replacement work at five separate “deep” stations in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan— 168 St, 181 St, 191 St on the  line; 181 St and 190 St on the  line. For many customers there, the elevators are utilized both for accessing the subway as well as more easily traversing the neighborhood’s unique, steep topography. The MTA announced the early completion of the 168 St elevator replacement in Dec. 2019. On the A line, the 181 St elevator replacement was completed on schedule and reopened on Aug. 2. The final A line station, 190 St, is in progress and scheduled to reopen Sept. 2021. Bus Service Options To accommodate affected customers the MTA has outlined a robust alternative bus service travel plan. Customers wishing to travel to the 181 St station should use the M3 bus, which operates 24/7. NYC Transit will monitor customer volume and will provide additional bus service between 168 St and 191 St stations if needed. Customers can also use the M101 if they are traveling on Amsterdam Av. Northbound M3 buses will not stop at 181 St due to the construction site. Customers looking to get off at that stop should get off at 179 St or 184 St instead. Bx3 and Bx36 customers traveling towards the Bronx will get off at the Bx11-Bx13- Bx35 stop on the southwest corner of 181 St and St. Nicholas Ave. Full schedules and additional information on the project is available here.

[daveklepper]

January 21, 2021

Dr. Fauci, Former Straphanger, Encourages MTA Employees to Get COVID-19 Vaccine: ‘This May Save Your Life’

National Health Leader Details his Former Subway Commute and Assures Heroic Frontline Employees That  Vaccine is Safe and Effective    View Dr. Fauci’s Video Message to the MTA Workforce    In a video message played at today’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board meeting, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, encouraged MTA employees  to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to protect themselves and those around them during the pandemic.  In the two-minute message, the former New York City Subway commuter speaks directly to the Authority’s heroic frontline employees, explaining that the vaccine is safe and the best way to fight back against the COVID-19 pandemic.    MTA employees have kept New York City moving during the pandemic as essential workers and heroes –and are at the fron t of the line to receive a vaccine as Dr. Fauci details in his message.    The national health expert also speaks to the special place the MTA has in his heart from his teenage years, describing in detai l his commute by subway from Brooklyn to Regis High School in Manhattan on the Upper East Side.    “I can relate warmly to you folks who played an important role in my younger days as a New Yorker and so since I care about you all, I strongly encourage all MTA workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus,” Dr. Fauci says in the video. “This pandemic has taken so much from us and vaccination is the best way for us to fight back and help restore our lives. The U.S.-authorized coronavirus vaccines – one made by Pfizer, and the other by Moderna - - are safe and they’re free and they’re about 95 perfect effective at preventing adults of all ages from getting sick.”    The video message will also play across various MTA internal platforms for all employees to view.    A full transcription of Dr. Fauci’s message appears below.    Greetings to you all. My name is Tony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.    As someone who grew up in Brooklyn, the New York Metropolitan[Transportation] Authority has a special place in my heart. The New York City Subway system is embedded in my brain. I took the subway every day to get from my home in Brooklyn to and from Regis High School in Manhattan. I would take either the BMT, what was then called the West End line, when I lived in Bensonhurst, or what was then called the Sea Beach line when I moved to Dyker  Heights. I would take it from there to 14th Street in Union Square where I would pick up the IRT Lexington Avenue Express to 86th  and Lex to get to Regis on 85th between Madison and Park. And so I can relate warmly to you folks who played an important role in my younger days as a New Yorker.    And so since I care about you all, I strongly encourage all MTA workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. This pandemic   has taken so much from us, and vaccination is the best way for us to fight back and help restore our lives. The U.S. authorized coronavirus vaccines, one made by Pfizer, the other by Moderna, are safe and they're free, and they're about 95% effective at preventing adults of all ages from getting sick. The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner we can get our lives back and our country back on track.     Throughout the U.S. pandemic, you have kept New York City's public transit moving. That is why you are essential workers at the front of the line to receive a coronavirus vaccine. Take advantage of it, get vaccinated. To be fully protected, you need one shot plus a booster shot a few weeks later. This may save your life.     I wish you all the best. Take care of yourselves. And even after you are vaccinated, stay safe by continuing to follow public health guidelines of wearing a mask. Thank you.

 

 

 

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Dr. Fauci Message to MTA Employees

Dr. Fauci Message to MTA Employees

 

[daveklepper]

January 25, 2021

MTA Launches Living Memorial to Honor Transit Workers Lost to COVID-19

Digital Art Installation Named After ‘TRAVELS FAR’ Poem Written by Former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith; Features Poignant Portraits of Transit Workers Shared by Families  Memorial Will Appear on 138 Three-Panel Digital Screens Across System Today Through Feb. 7   Visit the Online Memorial  The global pandemic has led to unimaginable loss to the MTA family, with 136 employees dying of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. To honor and pay tribute to those who have been lost too soon, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority today launched an engaging visual memorial to those employees, heroes who dedicated their lives to moving New Yorkers through the city and region.   Built around photographs shared by family members, the memorial was designed by MTA Arts & Design at the request of Sarah Feinberg, Interim President of MTA New York City Transit. It is entitled “TRAVELS FAR” after a poem by Tracy K. Smith, former U.S. Poet Laureate, that was commissioned for this project and will appear in multiple languages at stations. The online version is accompanied by an original score of the same name by composer Christopher Thompson, which was also commissioned for the memorial. This special tribute involved many people in various disciplines including New York City Transit liaisons to the family, and in-house talent from marketing, web and digital content teams.   The memorial will appear as an eight-minute video running on 138 three-panel digital screens at 107 subway stations today, Monday, Jan. 25, through Sunday, Feb. 7. The video will play twice consecutively three times per day, at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and is available to view on a website featuring the memorial and portraits.  "COVID-19 has been a devastating scourge on our entire country and, tragically, that includes the MTA's workforce," said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye. "We quickly made sure that those families who lost an MTA worker to COVID were taken care of financially, but the launch of today's memorial is aimed at personalizing the legacies of those who died during the pandemic. It is a moving tribute to the members of our heroic workforce who lost their lives and we will continue to make sure those who perished are not forgotten."   “The pandemic has marked an unimaginably challenging and painful time at New York City Transit,” Feinberg said. “Today marks the next step in our ongoing efforts to honor the colleagues, friends and family members who were taken from us too soon. These men and women were the heroes of the transit system - conductors, bus and train operators, cleaners – but they were also mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters. We think of them daily and we continue to mourn them with their friends and families.”  “TRAVELS FAR, with its poignant title and thoughtful words by Tracy K. Smith, helps us remember these courageous members of the MTA family in a way that pays tribute and honors them and their workplace contributions,” said Sandra Bloodworth, Director of MTA Arts and Design. “Surrounded by a spectrum of colors, the portraits in black and white allow us a glimpse into unique personalities known to their families and colleagues.?This memorial shows that art can be a powerful messenger, conveying loss and honoring the memory of our colleagues.” ?  “Transport Workers Union Local 100 will never forget our union brothers and sisters who perished in service to the city,” said Tony Utano, President, Transport Workers Union Local 100. “It’s our fervent hope that with this memorial the riding public also keeps them in their hearts and minds. Stop for a moment during your daily travels and reflect on these departed heroes, the lives lost, and the heartbreak being carried by their families and co-workers. May they rest in peace.”  TRAVELS FAR by Tracy K. Smith    What you gave—     brief tokens of regard,     soft words uttered     barely heard,      the smile glimpsed     from a passing car.  Through stations     and years, through     the veined chambers             of a stranger’s heart—              what you gave     travels far.  A full list of the stations where the memorial will appear is included below.  Train Line  Station   103 St  137 St-City College  145 St    157 St  18 St  23 St  50 St    59 St  66 St  79 St  86 St    Canal St    Cathedral Pkwy (110th St)  Christopher St Cortlandt St  Houston St  Rector St    103 St  110 St    116 St    23 St  33 St  51 St  77 St    96 St    Astor Pl    Bleecker St    Canal St    Spring St    Court House Sq  Hunters Point    Times Square    Vernon Blvd-Jackson Av Times Square  116 St  125 St  135 St  Bergen St    Borough Hall    Fulton St   Wall St    Atlantic Av  Bowling Green    Fulton Center    Wall St  125 St  14 St-Union Square    59 St   86 St  Dyckman St     59 St-Columbus Circle    W 4 St  23 St  Clinton-Washington  Franklin Av  Kingston-Throop  Lafayette Av    Nostrand Av  Ralph Avenue    103 St    116 St    135 St  81 St-Museum of Natural History    96 St    161 St-Yankee Stadium    Grand St    42 St-Bryant Park  50 St-Rockefeller Center  Broadway-Lafayette St   Avenue H  Avenue J  155 St 50 St  Jamaica Center Parsons/Archer    5 Av-53 St  Court Sq-23 St    21 St-Queensbridge    Bergen St   Delancey St   4 Av   Ft. Hamilton Pkwy   Smith-9 Sts   14 St    Broadway      Classon Av   Clinton Washington Avs    Court Square    Flushing Av   Fulton St    Greenpoint Av    Metropolitan Av   Myrtle Willoughby    Nassau Av    Essex St   Flushing Av    Hewes St    Lorimer St   Marcy Av   Broad St   Fulton St   Kosciusko St   14 St-Union Square    3 Av    Bushwick Av   Dekalb Av   Graham Av   Grand St   Halsey St   Jefferson St   Lorimer St   Montrose Av   Morgan Av   Central Av   Knickerbocker Av    36 St   46 St   63 Dr   65 St   Elmhurst Av   Northern Blvd    Steinway St   Woodhaven Blvd   Spring St       Canal St 14 St-Union Square     45 St    49 St    5 Av    77 St    9 St Canal St    City Hall     Cortlandt St    Pacific St    Rector St    Union St

[daveklepper]

Photos of New York City Transit coping with yesterday's mid-day snowstorm:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtaphotos/albums/72157718202189568

NYCTA, MN, and LIRR all operated normally with no serious delays, with maintenance people out in force for snow-rejmoval, removal of fallen trees, cleaning switch-points. etc.

[daveklepper]

A film from 1966 - pre-graffiti days.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAqe35_3YGE

 

But take some dialogue with a grain of salt and some humor!

 

[daveklepper]

For a good photo tour of the iinside of Coney Island shops, go to"

https://untappedcities.com/2021/02/26/nyc-mta-overhaul-shops-2/