NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT RIDERS COUNCIL
MINUTES OF October 26, 2017
A meeting of the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) was convened at 12:00 noon on October 26, 2017 in the 20th floor Conference Room 4 at 2 Broadway, New York.
The following members were present:
Andrew Albert Sharon King Hoge
Stuart Goldstein Trudy Mason
Christopher Greif Scott Nicholls
William K. Guild Edith Prentiss
The following members were absent:
Marisol Halpern Burton M. Strauss, Jr.
In addition, the following persons were present:
William Henderson PCAC Executive Director
Ellyn Shannon PCAC Associate Director
Bradley Brashears PCAC Transportation Planner
Shaun Wong PCAC Intern
John Angerami NYCT
John Santamaria NYCT
Deborah Hall-Moore NYCT
Yvonne Morrow Concerned citizen
Eric Wollman Concerned citizen
Ken Stewart Concerned citizen
William Stanford Concerned citizen
| Time Point | |
| Video Part 1 | |
| 00:03 | Approval of Agenda
The agenda for the October 26, 2017 meeting was approved. |
| 00:15 | Approval of Minutes
The minutes for the September 28, 2017 meeting were approved. |
| 00:20 | Chair’s Report (The Chair’s Report is attached to minutes.) |
| 06:30 | W. Henderson discusses Staten Island NYC Transit bus proposals. |
| 15:03 | E. Shannon discusses NYC Transit’s new performance dashboard. |
| 21:08 | T. Mason requests we find out why NYC Transit chose the 42 Street shuttle and other lines as pilots for removing seats. |
| 25:50 | Board Report |
| 26:02 | Board voted to move forward on new fare payment Cubic contract. |
| 29:16 | E. Prentiss inquires whether the board discussed use of the auto gate with new fare payment. |
| Video Part 2 | |
| 01:55 | W. Henderson mentions there will be a fare hearing next year that we should bring up our thoughts and concerns regarding new fare payment options that could be offered as well as Freedom Ticket. |
| 03:10 | S. Goldstein asks if booth agents will be selling the new fare payment cards and still retaining the ticket machines.
A. Albert said that machines will still be available for MTA issued cards, but booth agents will likely not be selling these. |
| 08:11 | A. Albert will see if NYCTRC members can be part of the new fare payment pilot program. |
| 08:17 | Enhanced Station Initiative (ESI) discussion. |
| 09:28 | E. Prentiss asks if there is any information regarding elevator key station due dates. A. Albert will find this out. |
| 13:25 | Ban on alcohol advertisements in subway/commuter rail cars and stations discussion. |
| 15:45 | Discussion of Governor Cuomo’s executive order declaring the MTA in a state of emergency. This has not gone over well with many MTA Board members. |
| 19:00 | T. Mason asks whether there has been discussion of congestion pricing.
A. Albert responds that it is gaining traction, and it has been discussed that the MTA needs a new source of funding. |
| 20:58 | C. Greif asks about where Freedom Ticket stands. |
| 20:23 | Bylaw discussion: continuation of the July meeting amendment that members who have low attendance cannot run for an executive position. |
| 28:40 | Amendment was voted on and approved and will now be part of the bylaws. |
| 29:40 | Crosstown bus resolution passed out to members. |
| Video Part 3 | |
| 00:31 | Discussion of bus service gaps. |
| 04:40 | Discussion of bus resolution not being SBS routes. |
| 07:20 | Vote on change of language for bus resolution. |
| 08:32 | T. Mason recommends tabling the resolution until next meeting. And creating a separate resolution regarding addition bus issues such as north/south routes. |
| 10:06 | Voted to approve tabling until next meeting. |
| 10:10 | Introduction of presenters: NYC Transit’s John Angerami and John Santamaria. Subway Car Maintenance and Performance metrics. |
| 13:52 | Overview of NYCT fleet profile: A & B Divisions |
| 15:37 | Discussion of legacy cars |
| 18:19 | Discussion of millennium cars |
| 21:47 | E. Prentiss brings up the placement of poles within cars that block wheelchair boarding. |
| 24:12 | A.Albert asks whether the R211 and R179 that will have the niche next to the door so passengers don’t block the doors. A: The R211s |
| 25:50 | T. Mason says it is difficult for shorter people to reach the poles and asks if anything can be done about this A: Yes, the new R211s will have extension poles. |
| Video Part 4 | |
| 00:03 | Discussion of fleet age & car mileage
Car related failures |
| 01:43 | Discussion of NYCT Division of Car Equipment: Responsibility & Support Facilities |
| 03:45 | A.Albert brings up the issue of purchasing and getting cars in a timely manner and issues with the Bombardier car contract. |
| 06:45 | Discussion of historic car reliability performance. |
| 09:05 | Discussion of car maintenance programs and existing challenges. |
| 15:58 | E. Prentiss asks what how many cars can be worked on at a given time? A: 4 car units are designed to be addressed as one unit. |
| 20:35 | E. Shannon asks if they are reducing the weight of the cars to have less wear and tear on the tracks while keeping safety in mind A: Weight limitations are currently being negotiated. |
| Video Part 5 | |
| 01:25 | E. Shannon discusses car weight and speed of trains, and if they are looking at this with the new cars. E. Prentiss raises the issue of car weight and its effects on the gap between the car and the platform. |
| 04:30 | C. Greif brings up issue of W signage being wrong, confusing customers. A: messaging falls under operations planning. |
| 07:33 | Adjournment |
Youtube link: NYCTRC Meeting October 26, 2017 Part 1 of 5
NYCTRC Meeting October 26, 2017 Part 2 of 5
NYCTRC Meeting October 26, 2017 Part 3 of 5
NYCTRC Meeting October 26, 2017 Part 4 of 5
NYCTRC Meeting October 26, 2017 Part 5 of 5
Action Items:
- Find out why NYC Transit chose the 42 St shuttle and other lines as pilots for removing seats.
- A. Albert will see if we can be part of the new fare payment pilot program.
- Albert will find information regarding elevator key station due dates.
- T. Mason recommends tabling the bus resolution until next meeting. The resolution will be discussed at the November meeting.
- Staff will investigate creating a separate resolution regarding addition bus issues such as north/south routes.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
William Henderson
Executive Director