A meeting of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC) to the MTA was convened at 12:00 noon on March 6, 2008, in the 5th floor Board Room, at MTA headquarters, 347 Madison Avenue, New York City. The following members were present:
Andrew Albert
Marisol Halpern
James F. Blair
Gerard Kopera
Ronald Breuer
Trudy L. Mason
Gerard Bringmann
Edith M. Prentiss
Sandra K. Douglas
Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas
Shirley Genn
Michael Sinansky
Ira Greenberg
Burton M. Strauss, Jr.
William K. Guild
Toya Williford
The following members were absent:
Gary Babyatzky
Patricia L. McCauley
Richard Cataggio
James L. McGovern
Francis T. Corcoran
Maureen Michaels
John M. Hunter
Edward B. Rich
Thomas M. Jennings
Sharon Santa Maria
Thomas Jost
Jerome I. Shagam
Norman Werner
In addition, the following persons were present:
William Henderson – PCAC Executive Director
Jan Wells – PCAC Associate Director
Ellyn Shannon – PCAC Transportation Planner
Chris Boylan – MTAHQ
Doug Sussman – MTAHQ
Marsha Desormeaux – MTA/OIG
Joseph Garber – Concerned citizen
James O’Shea – Concerned citizen
Clare Stuart – Concerned citizen
Ken Stewart – Concerned citizen
Matt Shotkin – Concerned citizen
Kay Dunham – Concerned citizen
Approval of Agenda and Minutes
The agenda for the March 6, 2008 meeting was approved as amended. The minutes of the December 6, 2007 meeting were approved.
Chairs’ Reports
The PCAC, LIRRCC, MNRCC and NYCTRC Chairs’ Reports are attached to these minutes.
PCAC Report
William Guild gave the PCAC report. Jan Wells, PCAC Associate Director, asked that the members take a look at the PCAC website.
LIRRCC Report
Sandra Krebelj Douglas gave the LIRRCC report.
MNRCCC Report
Gerard Kopera gave the MNRCC report.
NYCTRC Report
Andrew Albert gave the NYCTRC report.
Old Business
The members briefly discussed the new PCAC meeting attendance policy.
Ms. Mason announced that, at a recent speech made by NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn, the Commissioner made it very clear that there would be a lock box established as part of the congestion pricing plan. Mr. Henderson noted that the PCAC has gone on record that the money must be allocated to improving public transportation. Ms. Mason said we should reiterate our position that we support congestion pricing and ask for guarantees that the money will be for public transit use only. The members agreed that a letter should be sent to all who have a say in the process and that copies should be sent to the media as well.
Mike Sinansky noted that at the PCAC’s December 2007 meeting Rohit Aggrawala did not agree or commit to this concept as he expressed the opinion that some of the congestion pricing revenues could acceptably be used for purposes such as repaving the streets.
Ira Greenberg emphasized that the issue of maintenance of effort must be addressed. He said that it is not acceptable to replace current funding with congestion pricing monies and that you should not be able to pave streets with congestion pricing revenues using bus service as a justification.
The members unanimously passed a resolution to send a letter spelling out the four conditions that were outlined in PCAC Traffic Mitigation testimony in 2007:
The expenditure of funds generated through congestion pricing must be restricted to public transportation uses only. In popular terms, the net revenue from congestion pricing must be placed in a “lock box,” where it can be made available only for maintenance and enhancement of public transportation operations, facilities and equipment.
The authority to select and prioritize projects to be funded must reside with the agencies responsible for providing public transportation service. As the primary provider of public transportation to those traveling to, from, and within the core of New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) must have a substantial role in the selection and prioritization of projects upon which these funds are spent, in accordance with its normal capital programming processes and existing governmental oversight and approval procedures. The MTA’s influence in the allocation of funds from the “lock box” should be proportional to its importance as a provider of public transportation to, from, and within any zone where congestion charges are applied.
The funds generated through congestion pricing must not be used to replace or offset City and State contributions to the capital programs of public transportation operators that benefit from these funds. In order for it to be successful, congestion pricing must generate a substantial net increase in capital funding for public transportation providers directly and indirectly serving the congestion pricing zone. Congestion pricing revenues must be available to meet new needs created by growing demand, as well as to correct declines or shortfalls in capital funding necessary to meet longstanding needs. In addition to new congestion pricing revenues, traditional patterns of public transportation funding by the City and State must be maintained, if not enhanced.
The additional capacity and infrastructure sufficient to serve new users attracted to public transportation as a result of congestion pricing must be in place prior to the implementation of any congestion charges. Moreover, this additional capacity must be in place far enough in advance of congestion pricing to enable new public transportation users to determine and establish their travel patterns before congestion charges begin.
New Business
Bill Henderson said that staff would send out updated contact sheets out to all the PCAC members, as there have been several changes to the membership and members’ contact information.
The members discussed the draft of the PCAC response letter about the State of the MTA to be addressed to MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot Sander. The members agreed to send the letter with an additional paragraph detailing some of the PCAC’s concerns.
The members discussed a draft letter to Tom Schultze, New Jersey Transit’s Project Director for the Access to the Region’s Core study, made some minor changes and voted to send the letter.
Kay Dunham said that when the F was running over the C line, the conductors were not announcing that the F was going to Euclid Avenue. Mr. Albert said that he would follow up with Transit on this issue.
Introduction of Christopher P. Boylan, MTA Deputy Executive Director – Corporate Affairs and Communication
Mr. Boylan showed the video about the history of the MTA that was shown at the ‘State of the MTA’ event.
Mr. Boylan said he is working on customer information screens that will be installed at subway stations and crafting new service announcements. He said they are drafting common principles that will guide language for text messages.
Mr. Boylan spoke about the communication problems that occurred on August 8 2007, the day of the flood, and the various messages that were sent out by MNR and the LIRR regarding service. He noted that repeated emails backed up the system. He said that the MTA has dealt with capacity issues on text and email messages by engaging a third party provider who uses hundreds of servers. This will allow information to get out on more of a real time basis. He said they are trying to figure out how much time is required for each step in the notification process. He said it will take from five to fifteen minutes, but noted they are trying to reduce the time on the front end. He said the difference will be a five to ten minute delay in getting the message out, as opposed to the hour delay that occurred on August 8. He said the entire MTA family will be part of the same system. He said that the system will include a centralized sign-up menu for customers.
Mr. Boylan spoke about the redesign of the website and said that the MTA is working to improve customer service alerts. Mr. Boylan said these were not connected to alerts posted by the City and noted that they are two separate systems. Mr. Boylan said the new system will be able to handle 1,000,000 customers at a time.
In response to Ellyn Shannon’s question as to how many hits the website receives when there is service disruption, Mr. Boylan said that normally there are one to two million hits on the website in a major disruption, but this past Tuesday when the building in Uptown Manhattan near Metro-North tracks fell there were five million hits. He said that the alert system was affected by the MTA’s firewall system on August 8 but that this problem has been corrected.
Edith Prentiss suggested that before any changes are made, it is important to ensure readability for visually disabled customers. She also noted that there have been reader compatibility problems with the website and said it is difficult to find the elevator and escalator information on the website. Mr. Boylan noted that MTA has one of the largest public websites. He noted that he has had conversations with people currently in the room who requested that various features and content be added to the website.
Ms. Prentiss said the search engine is horrible as it always sends her to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) page of the MTA website. Mr. Boylan said that the MTA FAQs answer 88 percent of the questions that are asked and said that this is above the national average for website FAQ documents of 70 percent.
In response to Ms. Shannon’s question whether the MTA is looking at upgrades to the search engine and site map currently on the website, Mr. Boylan said he is looking at the site map. He noted that the most frequently asked question on the MTA website search engine is about pets.
Ms. Mason suggested that escalator/elevator and pet information should be up front on the website home page. Mr. Boylan said there is only so much information that can be put on the home page.
Mr. Boylan stressed that in general people want three types of information: schedules and fares, maps, and current service information, but he noted that the escalator and elevator information will be front and center in the redesign of the website. He said the information will be consistent for all stations that have elevators.
Ms. Prentiss noted that most people do not know that the MTA system outside of New York City Transit is accessible.
Shirley Genn noted that there is a large population of people who do not have web access and there should be more numbers to access information about service, although she noted many people call 311 to find out service information. Ms. Genn also noted that MTA must do a better job of communicating with customers when there are escalator and elevator outages. Ms. Genn also said that the horizontal strip maps should include accessibility information on them.
Mr. Boylan said the MTA’s plan is to have one number that you can call for everything related to the Authority and its agencies. He said they hope to have a single number for all service information up and running by the end of the year.
Ken Stewart noted that real time signage should have an audio component for customers who have visual impairments and that signage must be placed at the points where customers need to make decisions. Mr. Boylan said the key is to grab the customer before they enter the system. Mr. Stewart said too often he is given incorrect information because an MTA employee has received wrong information.
Marisol Halpern asked if signs would be before stairs. Mr. Albert asked if the PA/CIS system could have a repeater function that would allow the same information displayed on the platforms to be seen on the streets. Mr. Boylan agreed that the repeater function would be an addition to the system that could be valuable.
In response to Joseph Garber’s question as to why all correspondence goes to Corporate Communications instead of the individual to whom it is addressed, Mr. Boylan said it is because of the large volume of mail they receive and it is easier to track it by having it come to one place.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Karyl Berger
Research Associate
Send letter supporting congestion pricing to go to all public officials with influence on the process and to the media.
Send letter to Lee Sander on State of MTA Address consisting of draft presented at meeting and paragraph stating our concerns.
Send letter to Tom Schulze on PCAC concerns about ARC alternatives and process
Send memo on attendance policy
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA
Chair’s Report – William Guild
I want to welcome NYCTRC member Edith Prentiss to the PCAC. She was appointed to the Council in December by Governor Eliot Spitzer at the recommendation of Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. Much like Jon Schachter, Edith was a familiar face at and active participant in Council meetings long before her appointment to the Council became effective. I’d like to go around the table and have the members introduce themselves and note the public official who recommended them and their home community.
It is with great sadness that I announce the loss of our member Jon Schachter who, as many of you know, passed away on December 22, 2007. Over the last several months of his life, Jon had been in and out of the hospital prior to his final hospitalization of over a month and had undergone several surgeries. We will miss his love for transit and his dedication in striving to make the system better. Please join me for a moment of silence in Jon’s memory.
On February 11, Andrew Albert, Bill Henderson, Shirley Genn, Trudy Mason and I attended the memorial for Jon Schachter on February 11. Andrew spoke on behalf of the NYCTRC, along with many others who had worked with Jon. Jon’s dedication to a number of good causes, in spite of his illnesses, was very clear in the remarks offered and the photos that were projected on a screen behind the speakers throughout the ceremony. You should have received emails from Bill Henderson and Trudy Mason with information for those who wish to make an individual memorial gift to the Community Emergency Response Team of which Jon was a member.
On Monday, PCAC staff and several PCAC members attended the first State of the MTA Address given by MTA Executive Director and CEO Lee Sander. The address was delivered in the Great Hall at Cooper Union in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the MTA. A copy of his speech has been sent to you by email. Under New Business, I would like to discuss the draft letter written in response to the Address that was emailed to your ealier this week. Last week, Bill Henderson sent out an email concerning the Address as well as three other events scheduled as part of the MTA’s 40th Anniversary celebration.
On December 13 Bill Henderson also attended a Rudin Center forum on the MTA that had as its featured guest Lee Sander. Lee said that his vision is to make the MTA the best transportation system in its class. While they cannot necessarily match the performance of newly built systems, the MTA’s agencies can strive to be the best in the class, defined as large older systems throughout the world. Executive Director Sander said that he is concentrating on 7 strategic areas, including People, Institutional Transformation, Customer Service, Projects and Planning, Finance, Security, and Sustainability.
In January, the PCAC released our 2007 Annual Performance Review of the MTA and Its Operating Agencies. We received some coverage from the press on the Review, including articles in Newsday and AM New York.
On February 2nd, PCAC Associate Director Jan Wells made a presentation to the Eastern Queens Alliance, a coalition of civic associations, on the findings of the PCAC research report, A Long Day’s Journey into Work. As you are aware, the report focused on four areas of New York City that have the longest commuting times into Manhattan: Southeast Queens, Co-Op City in the Bronx, Southwest Staten Island, and Red Hook, Brooklyn.
As you know, the MTA Board voted at their December meeting to increase fares. The increase went into affect on March 1, 2008 for the commuter railroads and March 2, 2008 for Long Island Bus, MTA Bus, and NYC Transit. The average cost of travel on the Long Island Rail Road Metro-North rose 3.85 percent, and the 5 percent discount on combined monthly ticket/MetroCard purchases, which was originally proposed to be reduced, was left unchanged. On the bus and subway side, unlimited ride MetroCards increased in cost and the bonus on pay-per-ride MetroCards was reduced from 20 to 15 percent. In a more positive vein, a fourteen-day unlimited ride MetroCard, priced at $47, was added to the fare payment choices available to the rider.
Bill Henderson also testified at a Congestion Mitigation Commission hearing held on Wednesday January 16 at Hunter College. He restated the PCAC’s support for congestion pricing generally and noted that the alternative congestion charge plan developed by the Commission had addressed several of the concerns that the PCAC had raised at Congestion Mitigation Commission hearings in October and November 2007. The Congestion Mitigation Commission released its recommendations on January 31. The matter is now before the New York City Council, which must vote on an implementation plan and send a home rule message to the State Legislature. Under the terms of an Urban Partnership Agreement with the US Department of Transportation the New York State Assembly and Senate must approve an implementation plan by March 31 in order to access grant funds conditionally approved for the purpose of establishing the City’s congestion pricing system.
We have not seen much movement on the Moynihan Station project, which was the subject of a presentation at our September 2007 meeting. There is a great deal of effort being expended to close funding gaps and reach agreement on the final form of the project, but this work is being conducted largely behind the scenes. Staff will provide updates as they become available.
We are also waiting to hear the results of a set of revised proposals that were submitted for the development of the West Side Yards. The major difference in this second round was that the MTA asked the bidders to consider a project structure that has them essentially leasing the site from the MTA. Brookfield Properties, which does not have an anchor tenant and is committed to another major West Side project, did not submit a revised bid, leaving four development teams active in the process.
On February 27, Associate Director Jan Wells attended the ARC (Access to the Region’s Core) Technical Advisory Committee in Newark. Project Director Tom Schulze announced that the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) has been signed off by FTA. He expects it to be placed in the Federal Register two weeks from Friday and public hearings should start in early April. The ROD (Record of Decision) is anticipated by July. Mr. Schulze pointed out that there will be continued close coordination with the separate Portal Bridge capacity enhancement project. The alternative that is being pursued is deep tunnel construction versus the original “cut and cover” approach, which means that ARC will not connect directly to Penn Station and will terminate in a new concourse under 34th Street. A current presentation on the project will on the NJ TRANSIT website by the end of the week.
I attended an ARC Regional Citizens Liaison Committee meeting that was conducted after Jan’s meeting and received much of the same information. I shared some of my concerns about the direction that the project is moving and the process by which it is getting there at last week’s NYCTRC meeting. The Transit Rider’s Council voted to express these concerns to ARC project officials and a draft letter on this topic is in your packets today. Since this is a project of regional concern and under our bylaws the NYCTRC must consult with other affected Councils before taking action, I propose that we take up this subject under New Business and see if we can craft a common position.
Yesterday Bill Henderson attended a roundtable hosted by New York State Transportation Commissioner Astrid Glynn on Staten Island on the topic of traffic congestion. Bill stated in the public speaking portion of the program that improved transit service is critical to managing congestion. This afternoon, Jan Wells will be attending the roundtable that is being held at Republic Airport in Suffolk County. The topic of this session is transportation and land use. Additional roundtables have been held on various topics all over the State.
In your packets today is the copy of the PCAC 2007 Annual Report. It is also available on our website at www.pcac.org.
Long Island Rail Road Commuter’s Council
Chair’s Report – Gerard Bringmann
Last month the LIRR released the report they commissioned on the performance of the Diesel Fleet, which was originally scheduled for completion in December 2007. The consultant, Booz Allen, identified twelve recommendations to improve fleet performance, but was unable to complete a comprehensive analysis of failures due to incomplete records. In many cases, locomotives that had problems were brought into the shop, left to cool down, and if the problem was not present when the unit was restarted, it was sent back out into service. Needless to say, this is no way to run a railroad, and while we hope new procedures and staff assignments will improve the situation, we continue to monitor it closely and call for aggressive measures to improve diesel performance.
Also last month the MTA Inspector General’s office released heir report regarding a number of events that wreaked havoc on LIRR service in January and February 2007. While this was a good first step, the council issued a press release that called for further investigation and emphasized our demand for a communications audit of the LIRR.
On February 13, Bill Henderson attended a community meeting that the LIRR held in Syosset to discuss options for reducing platform gaps at the station. Options to extend platforms from 450 to 610 feet to straighten the tracks at the station are still on the table, but the more likely course of action to reduce platform gaps is a combination of wider threshold plates and a one-inch reduction of the minimum distance between track centerline and platform edges.
LIRR Executive Vice President Al Cosenza discussed these proposed actions at January’s LIRRCC meeting, and the Rail Road has found that these two measures can reduce platform gaps to below ten inches at all boarding positions in the Syosset station. Other measures that the Rail Road proposes is a continuation of the platform conductors at the station, a ‘call ahead’ program to request boarding assistance in off hours, and an aggressive public information campaign. The LIRR is also reviewing proposals to maximize use of the south platform for boarding in the morning rush hour.
Bill Henderson and I met with President Williams at Penn Station in early January to discuss some of my concerns related to public information and procedures when service is disrupted and access to Penn Station is limited. We found out that the message boards and loudspeakers that are located outside the 34th Street entrance to Penn Station, along with prominent Long Island Rail Road signage, actually are controlled by Amtrak. The LIRR is in the process of working out an arrangement with Amtrak that will allow them to use this equipment for announcements and messages in the case of service disruptions. I sent a letter to President Williams urging the LIRR to reach an agreement with Amtrak as soon as possible so that riders can benefit from these valuable communication tools.
We have also been lobbying the LIRR to work more closely with NYC Transit so that subway passengers do not arrive at Penn Station unaware of service disruptions and add to already crowded and hazardous conditions. Staff has been working to spur greater coordination in communication through contact with MTA Headquarters, the LIRR, and NYC Transit.
After we learned of the LIRR’s plans to provide text-enabled mobile telephones to its on-board personnel, I wrote MTA Executive Director Elliot Sander a letter commending the Rail Road and Helena Williams for this initiative. I stated that the Council does not hesitate to raise areas where the LIRR needs improvement, but we also are pleased to give the Rail Road credit when it is due. I provided a quote for use in the LIRR’s press release announcing this program, noting that communication is a major issue on the Rail Road and stating that giving train crews text-enabled cell phones is a major step forward.
Luckily, Amtrak settled with their unions prior to a strike deadline of February 1. Unfortunately, the new US President, whoever he or she may be, Along with the Congress will have to address the larger issues with Amtrak funding and operation that were the foundation for the threatened strike.
According to Joe Calderone, Maria Bartiromo, the CNBC personality who is the voice of the gap safety announcements currently being heard at Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, donated her time and recorded the sound bite at her own studio….all in the name of public service.
In January, Albert Cosenza, LIRR Executive Vice President was our guest. He gave us an extensive presentation on the gap mitigation initiatives the LIRR has undertaken over the past year.
In February, Josh Crandall, creator of the Clever Commute, which is a grass roots group made up of public transportation riders who exchange information about their commuting experiences on a real time basis, came to our meeting to brief the members about the service. He has established Clever Commute in San Francisco, Boston. Chicago, London, Portland (Oregon). Using this no-cost service, it is possible to exchange with fellow riders e-mail messages targeted to ease and speed the commute.
Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council
Chair’s Report-Richard Cataggio
On Friday, December 14, 2007, Metro-North hosted an informational conference and site tour in Beacon, NY for those parties interested in responding to the agency’s Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI). This is an initiative by Metro-North to spur transit-oriented development around the station. They received five submissions and hope that more developers will respond to the RFP that will be released later this year. PCAC Associate Director Jan Wells joined the group and heard talks from local officials, citizen organizations, and waterfront development interests.
Our annual Presidents Forum will be held here in the MTA Board Room on Wednesday, March 26 from 5 to 7pm. MNR President Peter Cannito and senior staff will be on hand to answer questions from riders.
We have been following up on the names of people who have contacted their local officials about becoming members of the Metro-North Council. It has been a frustrating experience, but hopefully our perseverance will prevail, and we will get some new members over the next few months.
In January, Ellyn attended a stakeholders meeting for the Tappan Zee/Interstate 287 study where the New York State DOT announced a new procedural approach to the project. The environmental review process will now be sequenced in two parts. The transit alternative will be selected in the spring, then the bridge design will be finalized and construction will begin on the bridge. The bridge construction will begin while NYSDOT goes through the time-consuming work of cooperatively developing the chosen transit system to fit into local communities. Ellyn also attended the open house held in February where she had the opportunity to view the new alternative. Alternative 4E includes both Commuter Rail and Bus Rapid Transit. The Commuter Rail would travel from Suffern, across the new bridge and then loop into the Hudson line at Tarrytown. This alternative would also place Bus Rapid Transit from Suffern to Port Chester.
Bill Henderson participated in the design workshop that is discussed in the recently released Tappan Zee Corridor Transit-Oriented Development Study Workshop Report. While it did not devise a final plan for development in the corridor, the workshop did explore options that can be pursued further once the conceptual plans for the Tappan Zee Corridor and Bridge are finalized. The report is available on the Regional Plan Association website at www.rpa.org, or if you wish staff can send you a website link to the report or a PDF or paper copy of the report.
In January, Thomas Tendy, MNR Director of Customer Services briefed the Council on a number of initiatives that his department has undertaken over the last year.
In February, Linda Corcoran, MNR Deputy Director of Business Development and Facilities and Greg Sylvester, MNR Manager Program Planning – Business Development and Planning, briefed the council on the Beacon station and transit- oriented development initiatives. They indicated that a project at Harrison is on the drawing board and that the Harriman station is being looked at by the Regional Plan Association for a possible Transit Oriented Development.
New York City Transit Riders Council
Chair’s Report-Andrew Albert
I want to once again welcome Edith Prestiss to our ranks and that we look forward to having her share her input and experiences with the Council.
I also want to take a moment and say the Council has felt a real loss with the passing of Jon Schachter. As Bill mentioned, he attended meetings for years before he became a member and we always marveled at his comments about subjects such as a bus problem that he encountered at four o’clock in the morning.
In January Bill Guild testified at a NYC Council Committee on Transportation regarding New York City Transit’s Rider Report Card. The testimony commended the agency for the Report Card effort but emphasized that we are concerned about the development of the survey instrument and how the results are going to be used. Bill also stated that NYC Transit made a few changes based on our suggestions, but that we were disappointed we were not a full partner in the process.
Also in January Bill Henderson testified at a MTA Public Hearing concerning a reduction to the threshold for the MetroCard bonus. He noted that purchasing a MetroCard at the proposed $7.00 threshold would result in a card with a value of $8.05, and using this card for four local fares would leave five cents on the card. He questioned whether managing this remaining value would result in large costs to NYC Transit and stated that riders should be encouraged to use account-based fare card options, including smart cards, to minimize the cost of dealing with the remaining value.
Bill Guild also testified on February 14 at a hearing held by the Transportation Committee of the New York City Council on “Terror Proofing the New York City Subways”. Mr. Guild stated that the members of the PCAC and its constituent Councils, including the Transit Riders Council strongly support efforts to increase the security of the subway and other MTA facilities and noted that systems and procedures aimed primarily at countering terrorist threats are likely to yield substantial side benefits in deterring and investigating more mundane, but nevertheless threatening, criminal activity in these locations. Nonetheless, he expressed the Council’s concern at the slow pace of installation of security equipment and at the fact that the Omega Booths, which guard the entrances to the subway systems subaqueous tunnels, are not staffed at all times. A text of each testimony is posted on our website.
Our new intern, Daniel Bianco, has completed the station condition surveys that were missing. He is now compiling the results in a Microsoft Access database and will begin writing a draft report shortly. Dan hails from Hicksville, Long Island and is in his second year of Urban Planning graduate work at Hunter College.
Our President’s Forum with New York City Transit President, Howard Roberts, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16. The forum will be held at 2 Broadway in the 20th floor conference room from 5 to 7 pm.
In December the Council heard from Joe Smith, NYC Transit Senior Vice President – Department of Buses. He briefly discussed the restructuring of bus operations at the MTA and addressed a number of concerns from members and guests.
In January we hosted a panel discussion with the local transit reporters: Bobby Cuza- NY1, Willie Neuman-NY Times, Pete Donahue-Daily News, Patrick Gallahue-NY Post and Marlene Naanes-AM New York. They discussed their perspectives on covering the MTA and the transit beat.
At our February meeting, Tom Savage, President – MTA Bus Company and Norman Silverman, MTA Bus Company Vice President – Operations Planning talked about the improvements they have made to the routes and facilities that were previously operated by the private bus companies.