"Talking Transportation"

Congress to Commuters: "Drop Dead"

2012-01-16T11:49:00.002-05:00

Back in 1975 when New York City was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, then- President Ford declined to offer help and the NY Daily News’ headline screamed “Ford to City: Drop Dead”.

Well, last month the US Congress said about the same thing to us users of mass transit. In their quagmire of inaction, bickering and partisanship, they let expire an important tax benefit to commuters: whether you drove or took mass transit, you used to be able to spend up to $230 a month in pre-tax dollars to fund your commute. But by not acting to extend the law, that benefit dropped to $125 a month for riders of mass transit but increased to $240 a month for drivers’ parking expenses.

What? Commuters who ride the train / bus /subway get screwed but drivers get a benefits hike? Yes, friends, it’s all true and you have Congress to thank.

This isn’t a red-state / blue-state issue. I see it as a “gray state” victory, the gray states being those paved with asphalt that have scorned mass transit. Meanwhile, big city riders of the rails get penalized.

There’s something egalitarian about mass transit… millionaires riding in the same smelly Metro-North cars as blue collar workers. People of color actually mingling with white folks! It’s like we’re all in this together, sharing space, giving up our individual liberties (smoking, singing, traveling exactly when we want) for the greater good (less highway congestion, air pollution, saving money).

People in the gray states don’t understand that. Theirs is a culture of selfishness: my car, my space, my right to travel where I want and when, to heck with you. Oh yeah, and the right to have free parking (or at least subsidized, as under this bill).

Connecticut commuters welcomed the New Year with a 5.25% fare hike on Metro-North (with similar fare hikes to come the next two years), thanks to the Malloyadministration seeing rail riders as an easy target for “revenue enhancement”. So losing this federal tax benefit is just adding insult to injury.

The Federal government doesn’t do much in terms of our commuter rail. They didn’t pay a penny for the new M8 cars. They don’t set the fares, determine the station parking rules or set the timetable. All of those are state functions. (Sure, the feds did kick some Tiger III grant money to Stamford for station work, but aside from that, nada.)

That’s why Senators Blumenthal and Lieberman are trying to restore this federal taxbenefit, the one thing they can do to help us commuters. They’ve been flooded with angry letters. Their bill (S-1034) has 10 co-sponsors but so far hasn’t won support from their colleagues who matter, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). Not a lot of commuter rail in Montana and Utah, eh?

Time will tell if Congress can fix this mess. I’m not optimistic, despite the best efforts of our Connecticut delegation.

For more information on what you can do, visit this website.

Metro-North's "Passenger Pledge"

2011-12-28T13:23:00.001-05:00

Never let a crisis go to waste. With that philosophy, the CT Rail Commuter Council has turned last July’s stranding of a train full of desperate passengers into something which will benefit every rider of Metro-North: “The Passenger Pledge”.

That incident, on the hottest day of the year, showed several failures on the part of the railroad… poor communications, lack of coordination with first responders and the need for better training of conductors. While the railroad has taken the first tentative steps to remedy those problems, The Commuter Council wanted to go further.

At the suggestion of State Senator Toni Boucher, in August the Council drafted a “Passenger Bill of Rights” enumerating what passengers should expect in exchange for a ticket. Some of those “rights” seemed pretty obvious… heat in the winter, AC in the summer, lighting and clean restrooms. We even dared to suggest that every passenger should get a seat, a concept quickly rejected by the railroad.

CDOT (which hires Metro-North to run our trains) also rejected our call for refunds or credits for weekly and monthly pass holders when service was cancelled and alternative busing was not provided. Impossible, said the state! We’ll see.

But over five months of negotiations with Metro-North and CDOT, we did hammer out an important, precedent-setting document, merging our “Bill of Rights” with what Metro-North called a “Passenger Pledge”.

Among the promises from the railroad… timely communications when service is disrupted… moving stranded trains to stations so passengers can get off… maximizing available seating by equipment scheduling and conductor enforcement of one-passenger, one-seat rules… railroad employees should be courteous and display name badges when on duty… and cars will be kept clean and safe.

These service pledges will be posted at stations and on trains for all to see, quite a concession from a railroad that has never before committed in writing to such standards.

Some on the Commuter Council were disappointed that we didn’t get all that we’d sought, but most felt that a compromise document that was 90% of our ideal is a major victory. (I wish members of Congress could similarly compromise!)

The “Passenger Pledge” isn’t perfect. And it doesn’t guarantee that there won’t be slip-ups. But now we all know what the standards are and if they’re not achieved, we can discuss what the penalties should be. (You can see the full Pledge on our website: www.trainweb.org/ct)

So let’s greet 2012 with optimism. The fares may have gone up and we only have a few more new M8 cars in service. Winter will probably bring service cuts. But we finally, for the first time in the 25+ year history of Metro-North, have a written pledge of customer service.

Quiet Cars Finally Arrive On Metro-North In Connecticut

2011-12-17T13:35:00.001-05:00

More than ten years ago the CT Rail Commuter Council first proposed the idea of Quiet Cars on Metro-North. They seemed to work just fine on Amtrak, first introduced in 2001 at the request of passengers. And other commuter lines across the US had also adopted the idea, usually to great acclaim.

For the most part, the rules are self-enforced by passengers. Those whose phones start ringing are quickly reminded they are in the wrong car and they usually move. There have been exceptions, including a celebrated case last spring on Amtrak when a woman was arrested for yacking for 16 hours on her cell phone and refusing to move from the Quiet Car.

But over the years Metro-North refused even a small trial. The idea was summarily rejected by management as unworkable. Conductors didn’t have time to police the “library like” requirements, they said (though they seemed to have no trouble enforcing no smoking, no feet on seats and other rules). And passengers wouldn’t abide by the rules anyway.

Oh what a difference a half-decade can make.

Last fall the railroad finally decided to rollout a pilot program on a handful of trains on all three lines, the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven. But the proposed test in Connecticut, involving only Danbury branch trains, was clearly flawed and was, to their credit, rejected by the CDOT.

Much to the railroad’s surprise, the Hudson and Harlem train trials (involving 32 peak trains) were a big success. A November survey of 4388 riders in both “quiet” and regular cars, showed 90% customer satisfaction. And 82% of respondents thought the program should be expanded to all AM and PM peak trains.

Best of all, the railroad admits there were “no significant operational issues”. Wow. Treat passengers like adults and they’ll act that way… even on the LIRR where another trial is underway.

The railroad promoted the program heavily (the survey showed 90% awareness) and rather than being confrontational with those violating the quiet rules, conductors just handed the offenders discreet cards explaining the program’s rules.

Those that wanted to use cell phones could still do so, either quietly at their seats or by moving to the vestibules for longer calls. Groups traveling to the city who wanted to talk could also do so without the withering stares of those affected by their chatter.

Best of all, those seeking a little peace (and maybe a nap) could find the quiet car and be assured of, well, quiet.

Now the Quiet Car program is finally coming to Connecticut. Starting January 9^th, 18 AM and PM peak New Haven line trains (designated with a big Q on the timetable) will be testing the concept. And Metro-North says if the tests go as well here as in New York, the Quiet Car plan could roll out system wide in peak hours on all trains come April 2012!

The railroad was wrong. The people were right. This is certainly cause for (quiet) celebration.

Winter on Metro-North

2011-12-05T12:47:00.001-05:00

It may not officially start until December 21^st, but winter is already on the minds of Metro-North and its 125,000 daily commuters. We all remember what happened last year with bad storms, train breakdowns and a month of reduced service (fewer trains and fewer cars).

Well, though I can’t forecast the weather I can safely predict another tough winter for the railroad and its passengers.

I honestly believe that Metro-North wants to run an all-weather railroad and does all it can to prep our aging fleet of 40-year-old cars. But the old cars’ poor design probably means that more break-downs are inevitable.

We don’t have enough diesel train sets to come anywhere close to being able to offer full service if the old MU (electric) cars freeze up again. And we’ve only received 56 of the 405 new M8 cars ordered years ago, so those few train sets will be of little help if our 300+ older cars can’t run.

And the M8’s we do have on hand have yet to be run in nasty winter weather, so fingers-crossed when they’re sent out in their first blizzard.

So what’s Metro-North’s plan for the months ahead? In a nutshell, lower your expectations and hopefully exceed their few promises.

Rather than try to run in bad weather, Metro-North is warning riders not to expect full service when the snows come. I think this move is wise, if unfortunate, given the realities of our ancient fleet.

It really makes no sense to run the old MU cars if we all know they may freeze up mid-run, stranding passengers in dangerous conditions. Though the railroad has done all it can engineering-wise to fix them, the cars were poorly designed and still ingest snow into their electronics bays where it melts, short-circuits the train’s electronics, then refreezes into a giant block of ice.

So expect reduced or potentially cancelled train service if the weather is bad. Make your plans now to stay with a friend or relative if you’re trapped in the city, or work from home if the morning trains don’t run.

When the forecast looks bad, check for updates on the MTA website, Clever Commute and through local media. (The CT Rail Commuter Council tweets the latest @CTRailCommuters on Twitter.)

There will probably be better rail service than the railroad is warning, but it will be nowhere close to the full service we enjoy in good weather. What trains that do run will be packed and will probably be late.

By this time next year we should have a hundred additional shiny new M8 cars, which have been designed to withstand the worst Mother Nature can dish out. If they live up to expectations, this winter may be the last where we have to worry about winter train service.

Travel: There Are Apps For That

2011-11-13T12:44:00.001-05:00

Perhaps no industry has done a better job of adopting to consumer tech platforms than the
travel biz. Given the complexity of travel choices and the powerful new handheld devices we all carry, it seems a perfect match. So, here are a few of my favorite apps and sites to make travel a breeze.

CLEVER COMMUTE: This free e-mail and Twitter-based service allows commuters to text each other in real time and describe problems in their train rides on Metro-North. Though some contributors tend to cry “fire”, Clever Commute has on most occasions been faster and more accurate than Metro-North in describing problems on the trains. More info at www.clevercommute.com

TRAIN-TIME: This website and mobile app are Metro-North's attempt to give riders real-time info on individual trains and their delays. But I've found it unreliable, reporting “good service” when trains were obviously delayed. Still, I'll give the railroad points for trying.

HIPMUNK: This website (www.hipmunk.com) and mobile app are brilliant for showing you travel alternatives between any two places. Planning a trip from NYC to Boston? Hipmunk shows not only the air fare ($420 on the shuttles) but train fares ($69 and up). You can search by departure time, length of trip, or my favorite, the “agony” factor.

TRIP ADVISOR: I am a “top contributor” to this site having posted more than 60 reviews over the past eight years. Whenever I'm going to a new city I rely on Trip Advisor posts to scout out unknown hotels, restaurants and tourism sites. You'll save yourself a lot of pain by referring to this site on the web or via mobile app.

FLYTECOMM: There are a lot of flight tracking sites and apps, and they all offer great info about when your flight will really take off and arrive, not just what the airline has been telling you. My favorite game is to use the app in-flight when the airline offers wi-fi, and watch myself flying across the US, dodging bad weather.

SEAT GURU: Finding a cheap air fare is only half the battle. Now you want to pick a decent seat on the plane. Seat Guru shows you seating plans for every aircraft in dozens of airlines fleets, which ones have more legroom or limited reclines.

AMTRAK: One of the things that Amtrak really does right is offer real time train info, fares and schedules on the web and via their apps. Faster, if less 'perky', than their telephone-based “Julie” robot, these sites are invaluable if you're traveling in the Northeast. And now, Amtrak has free wi-fi on almost all of their trains in the region, not just Acela.

KAYAK: Probably the best single website for everything related to travel... flights, car rentals, hotels and even cruises (but no Amtrak or bus info). Unlike Expedia and Travelocity they only show you the info and don't sell tickets. (Full disclosure: Kayak was a consulting client of mine a few years back).

RAIL EUROPE: Another consulting client, but a brilliant website and mobile app if you're zooming through Europe. Plug in departure city, destination and time and you're shown all the rail alternatives and fares. While I used to travel in Europe with a phone-book sized Thomas Cook's Rail Timetable, now I have more info, for free, on my iPad.

What are your favorite websites and mobile app's for travel? Share your thoughts and I'll pass them along in a future column.

What The Swiss Can Teach Metro-North

2011-10-31T10:31:00.001-04:00

Just back from 12 glorious (and outrageously expensive) days in Europe, I have some train tales to tell, and some advice for America’s railroads.

Despite its small size, Switzerland boasts some of the best trains in the world. Not the fastest (that would be France), but certainly the most dependable. Here are a few things Metro-North could learn from the Swiss railroads.

ON TIME MEANS ON TIME

Metro-North defines "on time" as being within five minutes and 59 seconds of schedule, an industry standard in the US. When I explained this to a conductor in Switzerland he laughed and asked "How can a train be late and still be on time?" Exactly. In this tiny country you can set your watch by the trains coming and going.

TIMETABLES ON STEROIDS

Arrive at a Swiss station to catch a train and you consult a timetable prepared weeks ago, arranged by hour. Catching the 10:07 to Basel? That's always on track 12; on that track you'll see a chart showing every car on that train, which are first class, where the restaurant and Quiet Cars will be and where, exactly, those cars will stop on the platform. Catch the same train from Grand Central and the track may be different day to day as might be the length of the train.

On the Swiss train you'll be given a list of the stations you'll stop at, which track you will arrive on and the time and track number of all connecting trains. Arrive at Stamford looking for the New Canaan connection and it's always different... and sometimes a bus.

TREAT THE CUSTOMERS WITH RESPECT

In Europe the on-board announcements (in three languages) always start with " Meine Damen und Herren" (Ladies and gentlemen). The formality of the culture carries over to the national railroad and customers are respected. On Metro-North some conductors yell at passengers, call them children and mock them on the PA system.

FREQUENT, CLEAN TRAINS

The heavily traveled corridor along Lake Geneva from Geneva to Lausanne and Montreux is 58 miles long. That compares to the 82 miles from Grand Central to New Haven. On our Connecticut line there are three trains an hour at rush hour and just one an hour during the rest of the day. On the Swiss line there are trains every three to eight minutes, even on weekends. Some are locals, others expresses and still others long-distance trains just passing thru Switzerland. But they are all spotless, even the bathrooms.

TAKE THE PLANE TO THE TRAIN

Most major cities in Europe offer high-speed rail from their big airports to downtown and beyond. At Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport you can hop a 200-mph TGV to anywhere in the country. Flying out of Geneva or Zurich, you can even check your bag at the train station and pick it up when you land, or vice versa. Compare that to JFK’s AirTrain which will take you to the subway or LIRR, but no farther.

BOOK & TICKET ONLINE

If you want a ticket for Metro-North you can order it on the web and you'll probably have it in a couple of days by mail. Book a ticket online in Switzerland and you print it on your home computer and hand it to the conductor who scans the QR code on the train, and you're done.

BAR CARS AND MORE

What passes for a meal on a Metro-North bar car (if there is one on your train) is probably a bag of chips and a beer. On most Swiss trains there's a lounge car serving food and drink or at least a cart that moves between the cars selling everything from fresh brewed coffee and sandwiches to adult beverages. And they accept credit cards.

SELLING THE SCENERY

Taking a cog railroad thru the Alps is, of course, different than riding Metro-North. But both pass through some incredible scenery. On most intercity Swiss trains there is a Panorama dome car, enjoyed even by the locals. On Metro-North or Shore Line East you're lucky if you can see thru your window, let alone enjoy the beautiful view of the coastline.

AMERICA IS NOT NUMBER ONE

Ever notice that the people who shout "the USA is the greatest country in the world" have often never been outside our borders? Until he was elected President, George W Bush had never even been to Canada or Mexico!

When it comes to railroads, the US is abysmal. Amtrak's Acela is a joke compared to high speed rail in the EU and China. And Metro-North may be the #1 commuter line in the US, but it pales in comparison to any of dozens of regional lines in the EU.

I just wonder… Has anyone from Metro-North has ever been to Europe and seen what is possible?

What's In A Name: Branding Rail Travel

2011-10-21T08:20:00.001-04:00

Don’t be too jealous, but as you read this I’m enjoying a rail adventure in Europe… almost two weeks of riding some of the fastest and best trains in the world… my idea of a real holiday.

As I prepare my itinerary, I’m struck by how well the Europeans “brand” their service. There is, of course, “Eurostar”, the popular train between London and Paris via “the Chunnel”. There’s also “Thalys” from Paris to Brussels and Amsterdam, and “Lyria”, a super-fast service from Paris to Switzerland using French TGV’s.

All of these trains sound a lot more exciting than “Acela”, Amtrak’s best effort at high speed rail. As one-time Amtrak President David Gunn once said, “Everyone knows what Acela is… it’s your basement.”

Amtrak still has some named trains though they are pale shadows of their historic namesakes: the Silver Meteor and Silver Star to Florida, The Lakeshore Limited to Chicago, The Adirondack to Montreal.

The New Haven Railroad used to name its trains: The Merchants Ltd., The Owl, The Patriot and Senator. When Amtrak inherited The Owl, a night train from Boston to Washington, they renamed it “The Night Owl”. But it was so slow and made so many stops, it was better known as “The Night Crawler”. It’s long gone.

It may well be that Acela will seem like a slow-poke if a new project takes wing: a maglev train linking New York and DC. Out of the blue this week I got an online survey from a company testing names for the proposed service.

Among the options I was asked to grade: “Maglev”, “Quicksilver”, “Aero” and “Magenta”. Really… magenta? But clearly these planners know that before they could even propose such a service, it needs an identity. (PS: I think this project has zero chance of ever being built, but it’s nice to know someone is thinking bigger and better than Amtrak).

Even stations’ names can evoke grandeur: Grand Central Terminal (not station!) says it all… big, NY Central and a dead-end. South Station and North Station in Boston give you a sense of location, like Paris’ Gare de Nord and Gare de L’Est. And Gare de Lyon tells you one of the big cities where the trains are coming from.

On Metro-North most of the station names align with the towns where they are located. But Westport residents insist on calling their station “Saugatuck”. And I wish I knew how Green’s Farms got its name. Coming this fall, “Fairfield Metro” will arrive.

Though it doesn’t name its trains, some Metro-North Bombardier-built cars carry names tied to Connecticut lore: The Danbury Hatter (alluding to the city’s old industry), The Ella Grasso (named after our former Governor) and my favorite, The Coast Watcher.

And even before Amtrak, America’s railroads similarly named many cars, especially sleepers, parlor cars and diners. The long-distance, double-deck Superliners carry the names of the states and such historic figures as A. Phillip Randolph, founder of the Pullman porters union.

So the next time you’re on some generic, 30+ year old Metro-North car known only by a number, think of how much more glamorous your commute could be on a car and train with a name like “The Silver Streak” or “The Weary Commuter”.

The Malloy 'Tax' On Commuters

2011-10-01T10:10:00.000-04:00

If a mugger came up to you on the street and said “I’m going to poke your eyes out!”, but then he only kicked you in the groin, would you think better of him?

That’s what Metro-North commuters are asking themselves now that CDOT has decided on 15.25% fare hike spread over the next three years instead of the 16.4% hike first proposed.

To their credit, CDOT held eight public hearings around the state to gauge commuter response to their plan. Hundreds turned out, 99% of them saying there was no justification for a fare increase in light of worsening service. But the CDOT should have been careful what they asked for. They heard the public, then chose to ignore them.

Mind you, this fare hike is not really coming from the CDOT. It’s actually a creation of Governor Malloy and his budget team.

At every monthly meeting over the past two years the CT Rail Commuter Council asked CDOT if there were plans for a fare increase. Each month they said “no”, until this spring.

When the Governor’s concessions package was initially rejected by state employees, Malloy came out with “Plan B”, a painful collection of service cuts and fee increases (including a fare hike) that hit everyone in the state. That got the state workers to reconsider and eventually they agreed to concessions and avoided layoffs. But when the unions said yes, “Plan B” didn’t go away, especially the Metro-North fare hike.

So these fare increases are really nothing more than a tax on commuters, a very convenient “captive audience” with few alternatives. These fare hikes are not to cover the cost of running the railroad but to balance the state budget.

Our fares are already the highest of any commuter railroad in the US. Now they’ll be even higher. Even the railroad’s own computer models suggest these higher fares will reduce ridership.

There are plenty of ways for Metro-North to save money without a fare hike, like collecting all the tickets on the trains. For years the CT Rail Commuter Council has been asking the railroad to get conductors to do their job. By their own estimates, the railroad acknowledges millions of dollars in lost revenue from uncollected fares.

Instead of collecting all the tickets, the railroad adopted new rules which make tickets expire sooner, leaving many riders with tickets that are now worthless. Buy a ten-trip ticket and it’s worth zero in six months if you haven’t used it. Meanwhile, passengers board trains at Stamford every day and get a free ride to Bridgeport because conductors aren’t doing their job. Their free ride is paid for by those with tickets.

Remember: Metro-North works for the CDOT. Why the state chooses to look the other way while the railroad abuses passengers in this way is a question best answered by Governor Malloy.

At a time when the state should be doing all it can to create and keep jobs in the state… and keep taxpayers from moving to NY or NJ… it’s astounding that Governor Malloy chooses instead to make the cost of commuting more expensive, not less.

This fare hike is just another nail in the coffin of Connecticut’s economic growth.

Quiet Cars Come (Finally!) To Metro-North

2011-09-18T16:09:00.000-04:00

It’s been more than five years since I first wrote about the idea of “Quiet Cars” on Metro-North. It looks like my persistence has paid off, as the railroad is about to start an experiment with such cars this fall. The first trains offering a "quiet CALM-mute" will be on the Danbury branch line starting in mid-October when the new timetable takes effect.

The “Quiet Car” idea originated at riders’ suggestions on Amtrak way back in 2001 on the early morning express from Philly to NYC. Passengers wanted a place to enjoy a peaceful ride (and maybe a nap) without obnoxious cell phone chatter or loud conversations. The idea was so successful that it was quickly rolled out on other routes.

Conductors remind boarding passengers that the “Quiet Car” maintains a “library-like” atmosphere. Cell phones, computers, radios and CD players should be muted. If you need to take or make a call, step out to another car.

For the most part, the rules are self-enforced by passengers. Those whose phones start ringing are quickly reminded they are in the wrong car and they usually move. There have been exceptions, including a celebrated case this spring when a woman was arrested for yacking for 16 hours on her cell phone and refusing to move from the Quiet Car.

Most commuter rail lines in the east and west have picked up on Amtrak’s success, offering the Quiet Car concept, usually to passenger acclaim. But not Metro-North. When the CT Rail Commuter Council suggested the concept, Metro-North refused, offering a number of excuses.

First, they said it would be hard for conductors to enforce. That’s strange, as the conductors have no trouble enforcing other rules like no smoking, no bags or feet on the seats. Then the railroad said it might violate free speech, never mind other passengers’ rights to a peaceful, enjoyable ride.

But the real reason for Metro-North’s opposition was crowding. Without enough seats for all paying passengers, how could those seeking solace be sure they could find a seat? It seems that the railroad assumed that a handful of peace-freaks who couldn’t fill a Quiet Car would force standees in other cars.

In fact, it will be just the opposite. I’d predict that the Quiet Cars on Metro-North trains will be jammed. And there’s certainly precedence.

Remember the old days of “smoking cars”? It used to be that every other car on a train allowed smoking. Those who wanted to avoid the blue haze sat in the non-smoking cars. Those clean-air cars soon became so popular that fewer cars were designated for smokers. Eventually, the smoking cars were eliminated. Now, in NY State, you can’t even smoke on the train station platform!

Nobody is suggesting that cell phones be banned from the trains. Rather, those of us looking for a quiet commute just want our fellow riders to be more considerate. The railroad’s attempt to educate cell phone users to step into the vestibule to make their calls has had some success, but the issue goes beyond cell phones.

Have you ever been on a train where a gaggle of teens has carried on in a loud voice, oblivious to the impact of their chatter on others? Or how about the recent case where a “well educated” young lady was kicked off a train for loud profanity?

When the members of the “me generation” take public transportation they forget that they are sharing the ride with others. The behavior they can get away with at home or in the car just doesn’t cut it on the train. To them I say, “Grow up”. It’s about “we”, not “me”.

So kudos to Metro-North for finally getting the message. Let’s all do what we can to make this experiment a success.

9/11 and the Trains

2011-09-05T12:31:00.001-04:00

A young reporter called me last week in a panic. He was writing a big story on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and had just realized that our trains are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Really?

I asked him where he’s been for the last nine years as I, and many others, have written over and over again about this issue. “Well, don’t you think the tenth anniversary makes the trains an even more attractive target?” he asked breathlessly. “No,” I said. “Timing’s not the issue.”

After 9/11 when airports were well secured, somebody noticed that we’d by then spent $11 billion improving aviation security, or $9.16 per passenger. In the same time we’d only spent $115 million on mass transit, or $0.006 per passenger. Why? Because, as someone at Homeland Security so aptly put it, “Trains don’t fly into skyscrapers.”

Is it safe to ride Metro-North? I don’t know. But the constant public service announcements about “do-it-yourself security” (“If you see something, say something”) are hardly reassuring.

I seldom see cops on the trains. When I do, it seems to be more for PR value than protection. I have never seen a random bag check. I do see cameras at key stations, but wonder if anyone’s actively watching them. Or are the videotapes just for after-action analysis?

What can realistically be done to improve safety on our trains and subways? In my view… not much. There are hundreds of miles of track, scores of stations and 130,000 daily passengers to control. But consider some of the possibilities:
= ID checks before boarding? For what purpose? Of what deterrence value? And imagine the lines.
= Airport style secure zones and screenings? Can you imagine thousands of riders arriving 60 – 90 minutes before departure to queue for screenings twice each day? They’d abandon the trains and be back in their cars in a flash.
= A cop on every train? Be honest: do you really think a determined suicide bomber would stop at his grizzly task if he saw a cop on the train? And with a ten-car Metro-North train carrying more passengers than a 747, what good is a cop at the front of the train if something happens a quarter-mile behind him in the rear car?
= Bomb-sniffing dogs on every train? Maybe. But we don’t have anywhere near enough trained canines to handle the hundreds of trains each day on Metro-North. Governor Malloy just laid off 26 CT State Troopers. The National Guard is busy in Afghanistan and cleaning up after Hurricane Irene. That doesn’t leave much in the way of personnel to increase visible security.

The MTA PD will tell you there are all kinds of security measures you can’t see. Maybe so. Or maybe those secret efforts don’t exist. I really don’t know.

Do I take the train into New York City? Sure. Do I feel safe? Yes, when I don’t think too much about it.

But you won’t see me lingering in high traffic, attractive target areas for a suicide bomber. And you won’t see me hesitate in calling 911 if I do see something suspicious. Am I paranoid or just precautious?

One e-mailer this week criticized me for pointing out how vulnerable our trains really are. He said I was just encouraging bad guys to attack us. Believe me; I have given this some thought.

I think any Boy Scout, let alone a determined terrorist, would need just hours of observation to see how soft a target we are. I’m not telling the bad guys anything they don’t already know and haven’t seen in past attack targets like Madrid and London.

But I am trying to alert you, dear reader, and our lawmakers while there’s still a chance to do something. Let this tenth anniversary of that horrible day, September 11^th, remind us all that terrorism can happen anywhere, anytime. Yes, even on a train.

Is It Time To "Fire" Metro-North?

2011-08-22T12:45:00.000-04:00

Is it time to find another operating agency for our commuter trains?

Consider the last year: winter service reductions, summer strandings in sweltering heat, the M8 cars almost two years late in delivery, abusive and incompetent conductors, arrogant and unresponsive management.

You may not realize that Metro-North is hired by the state of Connecticut to operate our trains. They work for us. Yet they never seem to be held accountable for their mistakes.

Last week there was a very loud “listening session” for Metro-North President Howard Permut to hear from passengers stranded on July 22^nd in potentially life-threatening conditions on the hottest day of the year. Mr Permut said he came to listen and learn. Yet, he squirmed in his seat, his body language screaming discomfort, and hardly took a single note as dozens of good ideas were presented.

He apologized for what happened. But in a 20-page “Open Letter to Commuters” he acknowledged no fault, assessing the blame for what happened on old cars and power-lines.

How does Metro-North keep this job, except for negligence in oversight by the CDOT?

The contract between CDOT and Metro-North self-renews every five years. Neither side has ever renegotiated the terms. There are neither penalties for bad service nor incentives for good. There is no accountability.

The income Metro-North makes from running New Haven line trains is more than they make from the Hudson and Harlem lines combined. We in Connecticut are Metro-North’s main source of revenue. Yet, they hold all the power and tell us what to do.

The M8 project was of their design, not Connecticut’s. The new car contracts had set-asides for minority and women-owned businesses in NY, not CT. Through their parent agency, the MTA, Metro-North determines capital expenditures with no “yea” or “nay” votes from Connecticut, and then bills us for our share.

Yes, Metro-North has an admirable on-time record. And certainly many of the issues they struggle with regarding aging equipment, insufficient repair facilities and century-old power lines, are not their fault.

But July’s stranding of hundreds of passengers near Greens Farms on the hottest day of the year shows an area easily improved upon: staff training.

Why did conductors on that train not communicate with passengers, leaving them so desperate they called 911 to be rescued? Why did it take passengers, not conductors, to open windows and doors, to cope with the 100+ degree heat? Why did a conductor take off his uniform so as to not to be bothered by anxious passengers? And when the train did start moving, why did conductors curse at each other over the PA system for all to hear?

What consequences did those conductors face? Were they disciplined? Re-trained? Demoted? Fired? Nobody knows, or at least the railroad won’t tell us.

Maybe it’s time to tell Metro-North it can be replaced. Other commuter rail lines have changed operating agencies… the MBTA, Virginia Railway Express… and passengers found better service at lower cost.

Yes, Connecticut can “fire” Metro-North and find someone else to run our trains. Just because Metro-North has had a monopoly on our commuter lines since 1983 doesn’t mean they’re the only game in town.

But first our Governor and the legislature should ask the CDOT what kind of oversight they conduct on Metro-North. Why not an annual report card? The CT Rail Commuter Council issues an annual report. I wonder if anyone in Hartford reads it. If they did, they’d know these problems are not new.

Metro-North's July Meltdown

2011-07-25T17:13:00.001-04:00

Friday July 22^nd was the hottest day I can ever remember. The pavement in Manhattan was 147 degrees and I could tell that my commute home was going to be awful. Luckily, I wasn’t on the 1:34 to New Haven.

That train on time with three of its cars lacking good air conditioning, so the remaining cars were standing room only. Just past the Westport station, an aging pantograph snared the overhead catenary (power) line, sagging in the heat, and the train lost power. No electricity meant no AC, no radio and no PA system.

Eyewitnesses on the train tell me people started panicking as the temperature rose. They asked a conductor to open a window or door, but he refused. Finally, two passengers opened emergency evacuation windows, pried open the doors, jumped out and walked down onto the tracks.

Realizing that they faced an emergency and with no aid or communications from the conductors, people pulled out their phones and dialed 911. The railroad wasn’t going to rescue them, so maybe the police could. People were crying, fainting, throwing up. At least three pregnant women were in distress.


Stranded passengers at Greens Farms seek shade after leaving stalled train.		Photo courtesy of WestportNow.com

When their 911 screens “lit up”, Westport Police called Metro-North headquarters asking the location of the train. At first they were told the train was empty, which delayed an EMS response. After almost an hour in these unbearable circumstances, the train limped into the Greens Farms station where rescue workers from Fairfield and Westport tended to the sick and passed out water. On the platform, the digital displays mocked the crisis by reading “Good Service”.

About the same time, the 12:07 pm from GCT became disabled between Stratford and Bridgeport. The 3:27 pm from New Haven suffered the same fate nearby, also because of the pantographs snagging the drooping power lines.

At 4:45 pm I arrived at GCT, having heard of “wires down” delays from Clever Commute. Luckily, I could grab a diesel train, the 5:10 to Danbury, which had minimal air conditioning but might bypass the delays beyond Norwalk where it would hang a left and go up the branch.

In fact, there were four Commuter Council members leaving GCT at about that hour, each on a different train. By e-mail, we compared notes on our delays and the total lack of communications about the problems ahead. On none of our trains was there any announcement. I asked my conductor what he knew, hearing the Metro-North radio crackling on his hip. “They haven’t told us anything,” he said.

A commuter using Clever Commute first reported the wires problem at 3:23 pm. It wasn’t until 4:15 pm that Metro-North’s e-mail alert system finally posted a vague message of “heat related instances” and “35 - 45 minute delays” from Stamford to New Haven. “Instances”?

Rush hour was screwed. Dozens of trains pouring out of GCT would be delayed. And because New Haven to NYC trains had been totally suspended, needed equipment could not arrive at GCT to take folks home. Friday evenings are always a problem on Metro-North. This would be one for the history books.

It’s not Metro-North’s fault that our catenary is so fragile… snapping in the bitter cold of winter and sagging in the summer’s heat. And it’s not Metro-North’s fault that the pantographs on our 40-year-old trains can’t be adequately maintained.

Anybody who has ridden Metro-North over the years knows that “stuff” happens.

But Metro-North is responsible for its horrendous, potentially life-threatening lack of communications. On the trains, at the stations and via e-mail, their silence and ambiguity about Friday’s crisis are just the latest in a litany of disregard for the commuter, their customer.

The Commuter Council has documented many similar incidents in the past. Each time the railroad said “We’ll try harder”. They have obviously failed.

Personally, I think Governor Malloy or the legislature needs to call an emergency hearing, calling Metro-North to task. Nobody at that railroad ever seems to take the blame or responsibility.

This time, the hottest day in recent memory, thousands sweated and were delayed, but nobody was hurt. Next time, we may not be so lucky.

Why Don't The Airlines Tell Us The Truth?

2011-07-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered if the airlines are telling you the truth about the safety of air travel? Well, me too!

SEATING: Ever wonder why seats face forward in the plane? Is it because we like to watch what’s going on in first class? Actually, research shows that rear-facing seats are much safer in the event of an emergency. Just ask the military, which fits seats on its transport planes facing the rear.

SEATBELTS: We’re asked to keep them fastened whenever we’re seated in the event of “bumpy air”. The better term to use would be “clear air turbulence” when, unexpectedly, the plane plummets hundreds of feet sending everything… including untethered passengers, food service carts and laptops… hurling upward. It happens with some frequency. Better give that belt an extra tug.

LIFE JACKETS: Yes, we know they’re under the seat. But they claim they’re only for use in a “water landing”. Mind you, the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson” landing of an A-320 was just that, a miracle. Planes don’t float. So don’t sweat the life jacket or the detachable slides which supposedly double as rafts. Bring a snorkel.

EVACUATIONS: To be certified by the FAA, aircraft must prove they can be completely evacuated in 90 seconds. The aircraft manufacturers cheat a bit in passing this test, using employee families and friends in trials where everyone knows what will happen and have an obvious interest in getting the plane OK’ed. You know how long it takes to board an aircraft. Can you imagine 900 people racing for the exits on the new double-decked A-380 and getting off the craft in a minute and a half? Next time they do the pre-flight check, pay attention. Know where the emergency exits are. You may need to get off that plane fast!

CELLPHONES: Turn ‘em all off. Blackberries, too. We’re told they interfere with aircraft navigation and communication. Seems logical, until you hear that several European carriers are soon to offer in-flight cellphone use… for a fee. The truth is cellphones don’t interfere with aircraft as much as they do with the ground network.

IN-FLIGHT SNACKS: Though meals are a rarity these days on anything but long-haul flights, beverages and snacks are still available. Not for nutrition, mind you, but mostly for amusement. And the airlines actually push the booze to keep passengers somewhat sedated. Cynics even suggest that airlines turn down the cabin air recirculation a notch or two to make passengers drowsy and keep them in their seats, out of the way of flight crews.

SAFETY: Yes, your checked luggage is screened before being loaded. But 99% of the cargo being carried in the plane’s belly is not. The TSA relies on the air carriers, not screenings, to be sure bombs stay off of planes. So a terrorist can’t travel with a bomb, but he can easily ship one instead. Feel safer?

LIQUIDS: The 2006 terror scare left millions of us dehydrated as we were forced to leave our water bottles landside. Later, those rules were relaxed a bit. We can buy beverages after clearing security (“Wow… water for only $1.89!”). But the real explosives… perfumes and duty-free booze… are still allowed on. Go figure.

I hate to sound like a grouch, but flying is no fun anymore. It’s neither glamorous nor safe. And having the airlines be less than honest with us doesn’t help.

The Secret M8 Papers

2011-06-29T17:25:00.001-04:00

They lied to us. And now we have the proof.

Last winter when Metro-North was in full melt-down (or freeze-up), commuters asked over and over again, “Where are the new M8 cars?” The constant reply from the railroad and CDOT was “the testing continues apace… be patient.” But The Commuter Council had heard otherwise. Whistleblowers were calling and e-mailing us saying there were serious problems with the M8s.

So, for the CT Rail Commuter Council’s February 2011 meeting, we asked Metro-North and CDOT to bring representatives from the M8’s designer and manufacturer, Kawasaki, and engineers from LTK, the consulting firm being paid $27 million to test the cars. We wanted to ask them what was going on. But CDOT refused. Appeals to newly elected Governor Malloy fell on deaf ears. At the Council’s meeting the then-interim CDOT Commissioner said we were not smart enough to understand what the engineers would explain. Oh, really?

Now, thanks to an FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) filing by WABC-TV’s Jim Hoffer, we have seen a treasure trove of e-mails and letters between Kawasaki, LTK and Metro-North detailing countless problems and delays during this period.

For perspective, remember this timeline: the first M8 car arrived in New Haven 12/24/09 but the first M8 train didn’t go into service until 3/1/11. What happened over those intervening 15 months? Testing, a lot of delays and excuses.

The “M8 Papers” show letter after letter from Kawasaki appealing for delays in testing. Excuses range from sub-contractor bankruptcies to 20 days needed to load and unload dummy weights from test trains. Kawasaki’s Project Manager even blamed the weather for testing delays in the final weeks before the M8’s finally saw service.

Metro-North responded, “Why does snow stop the tests? It was not that much (snow) and we expect to operate in all weather conditions short of hurricanes and over 2 ft of snow. An aside, anything less than 6 inches (of snow) is a frost.”

In January of this year, CDOT told the Commuter Council that computer problems had been found during testing. A day before that meeting, LTK wrote in an e-mail “Kawasaki has yet to accumulate a trouble free mile” in testing.

This mantra of “software problems” would be the ongoing excuse whenever anyone asked about the M8 delays. But the problems were far greater than just software.

A January 24, 2011 four-page e-mail from LTK says testing turned up over 150 problems ranging from the doors to air compressors, from the brakes to the ‘dead man’ switch. Even the hand-dryer in the bathroom malfunctioned. Pantographs wouldn’t go down enroute to GCT. Emergency brakes applied without notice. The M8s horns even got frozen.

Kawasaki kept asking for more time, presumably to avoid costly fines for ever-increasing delays in getting the M8’s in service. January 3^rd of this year Metro-North had to cancel a planned nighttime test because Kawasaki personnel didn’t show up. “It would have been nice to know this before we had an extra train crew and special duty engineer show up for work,” wrote Metro-North.

Today there are three M8 train sets in service. So far they’ve encountered few problems. But production delays in Japan and Nebraska mean we’ll only have 60 cars in service by year end.

But how could such a trouble-plagued prototype suddenly become the darling of the fleet?

For that question, we still don’t have the answer. You see, “The Secret M8 Papers” are not complete. Even though it took WABC-TV’s “Investigative Unit” four months to unearth hundreds of e-mails and letters, Metro-North has yet to release the final documents from the crucial February 2011 testing.

One wonders what they will show.

Travel Rage

2011-06-13T12:33:00.003-04:00

I’m a big guy. Not self-important, but large. So when I’m riding Metro-North at rush hour and the only available seats are those dreaded middle seats in the three-seat rows, I’d rather stand. Why inflict my girth on two fellow passengers and make three of us uncomfortable instead of just one (me)?

Taking public transportation is a compromise. We all must give a little and share the same space, sometimes in much closer proximity than we’d like. Sometimes this can lead to conflict.

Consider the following cases, all true and all from just the past few weeks:

First, the recent video of a “loud woman” being kicked off a Metro-North train for cursing and causing a scene when the conductor asked her to stop. This video, shot on a cell phone by another passenger, had a half-million hits within 24 hours, turning a minor incident into a huge embarrassment.

Or how about this? On an eight-hour flight from the UK to the Barbados, a fist-fight erupted involving a dozen passengers. Half way across the Atlantic, a group of passengers celebrating “something special” got into a fight with another passenger who complained that they had cursed in front of her child. The verbal attacks quickly turned physical with fists flying. It took other passengers and crew a half-hour to quell the melee. Barbados police arrested the trouble-makers on landing.

Or consider this episode:

A United Airlines jumbo jet bound from Washington’s Dulles airport to Ghana (Africa) had to turn back when passengers got into a slap-fest over leg-room. One passenger reclined his seat. His neighbor behind him protested, but the reclining passenger did nothing. So, the suddenly-cramped passenger smacked his selfish neighbor. Other passengers tried to intercede, but the crew decided to turn back to DC after dumping 16,700 gallons of fuel and requiring an escort (at taxpayer expense) by two F-16 fighter jets.

Or on the domestic front, how about the recent Jet Blue flight from Florida to Boston where a man, having trouble stowing his luggage under his seat, literally slapped a flight attendant? He was arrested.

Or on the rails, how about the woman sitting in an Amtrak “Quiet Car” who yapped on her cell phone for 16 hours, refusing to observe the rules or move to another car? She was arrested, later complaining that she felt “disrespected” by the incident.

Alas, it’s hard to find out what ultimately happened to these folks, though I think that a little jail time, a hefty fine and life-time inclusion on the “no flight list” would seem appropriate. Publicizing their punishment might go a long way toward deterring someone else from similar boneheaded behavior.

In the words of Rodney King… “Can’t we all just get along?”

It’s unlikely that the airlines will ever give us more legroom. And the stress of travel will never go away. Short of slipping everyone a Xanax before the flight, can’t we all just chill out this summer and get to our destination?

For those of you who can summon a private jet, enjoy! For the rest of us suffering in coach, let’s just learn to be civil.

Why Can't They..... ???

2011-05-31T09:56:00.000-04:00

Simple problems require simple solutions. And when it comes to solving our transportation woes, we consumers always wonder whey “they” can’t fix things quickly by doing what seems obvious and simple. Take the following, for example…

METRO-NORTH:

Why can’t they make the bathrooms on the trains stink less?

Why can’t we have heat in the winter and AC in the summer, instead of vice versa?

Why can’t conductors announce each stop instead of hiding from passengers?

Why can’t they collect all tickets on the trains?

Why can’t the railroad treat us like valued customers instead of like cattle?

Why can’t we have competition among private carriers on commuter rail?

Why can’t they serve coffee and pastries in the bar cars in the morning?

Why can’t we have WiFi on our trains like Amtrak’s Acela?

Why can’t we get a rebate on our tickets when trains are late, service is cut or we can’t get a seat?

Why can’t they build more parking at the stations to cut the five-year wait for permits?

Why can’t I buy a ten-trip ticket that doesn’t expire in six months before I’ve used all the rides?

Why can’t they put a map at every station showing the local businesses and how to get there without taking a cab?

Why can’t Metro-North offer “quiet cars” like Amtrak, NJ Transit and the MBTA do?

Why can’t I buy a ticket on the train using a credit card?

Why can’t Hartford lawmakers all be required to ride Metro-North at rush hour for a week to know what their constituents endure all year?

Why can’t we do something about replacing the crumbling Stamford rail station garage instead of studying, talking and doing nothing for five years?

Why can’t towns leave station waiting rooms open evenings and weekends, especially in cold weather?

Why can’t they improve security on our trains instead of making us do their job with “If you see something, say something”?

HIGHWAYS:

Why can’t they get disabled vehicles off the road faster, avoiding back-ups?

Why can’t town police direct traffic when back-ups on I-95 send cars pouring onto the Post Road?

Why can’t they fix the overhead lights on I-95 so our highway is illuminated at night?

Why can’t they ticket trucks for using “Jake Brakes”, down-shifting noisily?

Why can’t they keep the truck-inspection stations open 24 x 7?

Why can’t we get reasonably priced gas on highway service areas instead of having to get off the road and into local traffic?

Why can’t they put tolls on I-95, priced by time of day, with proceeds being used to subsidize mass transit?

Why can’t they jail people endangering others by talking on cell phones while driving?

FLYING:

Why can’t they give us a human-sized seat with legroom at a fair price?

Why can’t the FAA improve safety by making sure pilots and air traffic controllers are properly trained, rested and supervised?

Why can’t they be honest with us about delays instead of always saying “it’ll be another 20 minutes” over the course of hours?

Why can’t they seat families with screaming babies in their own section, away from me?

Why can’t I take a car service to the airport for less than the cost of my flight?

What questions would you add to our “Why can’t they” list? Send them to me and I’ll try to get the answers and share them in future columns.

Saving Money Going to New York City

2011-05-16T12:31:00.000-04:00

Whether you’re a daily commuter, an occasional day-tripper or have friends visiting this summer, everyone can save money when you go into NYC by following this time-tested advice:

TRANSITCHEK: For commuters, see if your employer subscribes to this fabulous service, which allows workers to buy up to $230 per month in mass transit using pre-tax dollars. If you’re in the upper tax brackets, that’s a huge savings. A recent survey shows that 45% of all New York City companies offer TransitChek which can be used on trains, subways and even ferries.

GO BY TRAIN OFF-PEAK: If you can arrive at Grand Central on weekdays after 10 am and avoid the 4 pm – 8 pm peak return hours, you can save 15 – 20%. Off-peak’s also in effect on weekends and holidays. Your train will be less crowded, too.

BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE: If you buy your ticket with cash on the train you’ll pay the conductor a $5.75 - $6.50 “service charge”… a mistake you’ll make only once! There are ticket machines at most stations, but the cheapest tickets are those bought online. And go for the ten-trip tickets to save an additional 15%. They can be shared among passengers, even those traveling together in a group.

LOOK OUT FOR NEW TICKET RULES!: Watch out! Metro-North changed its ticket rules last year in what many consider a hidden fare hike. One way and round-trip tickets which used to be good for months are now valid for only 14 days. Even ten-trip tickets are now valid for only six months. And forget about getting a refund on an old ticket, even if it hasn’t expired. Refunds cost $10.

KIDS, FAMILY & SENIOR FARES: Buy tickets for your kids (ages 5 – 11) in advance and save 50% over adult fares. Or pay $1 per kid on board (up to four kids traveling with an adult, but not in morning peak hours). Seniors, the disabled and those on Medicare get 50% off the one way peak fare. But you must have proper ID and you can’t ride in the morning rush hours.

FREE STATION PARKING: Even rail stations that require parking permits usually offer free parking after 5 pm, on nights and weekends. Check with your local town.

Once you’re in NYC, you can save even more money.

AVOID CABS: I have nothing against taxis, but they’re getting mighty expensive: $2.50 when you enter the cab, $0.40 for each minute or one-fifth of a mile. Add on a $1 surcharge from 4 – 8 pm weekdays, $0.50 after 8 pm and a state mandated $0.50 per ride anytime, not to mention a tip… and it all adds up. Instead, take the bus or subway. Or try walking.

METROCARDS: Forget about the old subway tokens. The nifty Metrocard can be bought at most stations (or combined with your Metro-North ticket) and offers some incredible deals compared to the $2.25 cash fare: put $10 on a card (bought with cash, credit or debit card) and you get a 7% bonus. Swipe your card to ride the subway and you’ll get a free transfer to a connecting bus, or vice versa. You can buy unlimited ride MetroCards for a week ($29) or a month ($104). There’s now even an ExpressPay MetroCard the refills itself like an EZ-Pass.

CHEAPER TO DRIVE?: Even being a mass transit advocate I’ll be the first to admit that there may be times when it’s truly cheaper to drive to Manhattan than take the train, especially with three or more passengers. You probably know how to avoid Triboro (RFK) bridge tolls by taking the Major Deegan to the Willis / Third Ave. bridge, but I can’t help you with the traffic you’ll have to endure. But do check out www.bestparking.com to find a great list of parking lots and their rates close to your destination. Or drive to Shea Stadium and take the #7 subway from there.

The bottom line is that it ain’t cheap going into “the city”. But with a little planning and some insider tips, you can still save money. Enjoy!

What Happens When Gasoline Costs $10 a Gallon

2011-05-02T12:07:00.000-04:00

Tired of paying $4+ a gallon for gasoline? Well, your pain has just begun.

For decades we’ve lived (and driven) in denial, somehow assuming we have the “right” to cheap gasoline, and therefore, low-cost transportation. Now it’s time to face reality and consider what will happen when (not if) gas hits $10 a gallon.

The following are my hypotheses. (Follow the embedded links for recent news coverage that contribute to my theories.) These things haven’t happened yet, but seem likely when gas prices inevitably soar to double digits a gallon.

AIR TRANSPORT: Following the demise of a dozen airlines and the shrinking of the remaining carriers, air fares soar and service is cut. Air travel becomes affordable to few. Airport congestion fades as business trips are replaced with tele-conferencing. Hotels are shuttered as business travel wanes and “leisure travel” becomes unaffordable.

HIGHWAYS: Rush-hour on I-95 is a breeze as half of all motorists can no longer afford to drive. But the highways are a mess of potholes as the price of asphalt, made from petroleum, quintuples making it impossible to maintain the roads because gas tax revenues have dropped with decreased sales. With more people working from home or on flex-time, traffic congestion is a thing of the past.

HOMES / OFFICES: With home heating oil at $12 a gallon, people close off rooms in their “McMansions” and huddle in the few remaining spaces they can afford to heat, usually with wood stoves, which are also in short supply. Office buildings, by law, can heat to no more than 60 degrees in colder months. Sweaters become a fashion rage.

MASS TRANSIT: Delivery delays in the long awaited M8 cars and fears their manufacturer Kawasaki may declare bankruptcy send rail commutation into a tail-spin. Seats are pulled out of cars to create standing room capacity and Metro-North offers cheaper fares to those who can’t get a seat. As in Tokyo, “pushers” (click here for video) are assigned at Grand Central to squeeze passengers into trains. Few can afford to drive and park at rail stations, so most spaces there are turned over to bike racks. Despite fare increases, ridership soars.

AROUND TOWN: Local traffic drops as people consolidate their few truly necessary shopping trips. Because farmers are so dependent on oil (for fertilizers, packaging and transport), food prices soar. Food imported out of season becomes an occasional treat. Few can afford to eat out at now-chilly restaurants dealing with the same food shortages. Wagons and carts, bikes with racks, mopeds and scooters replace the SUV. Kids take the school bus daily instead of being chauffeured by Mom. Suburban housing prices continue to fall as people flock to the walkable cities with good mass transit. Small town taxes rise, encouraging further migration. Schools can’t afford good teachers who must still commute from far away due to lack of local affordable housing.

THE ENVIRONMENT: Oil drilling begins in the Alaskan wilderness, but no supply of oil will reach the lower-48 for three years. In a panic, Congress weakens clean air laws to permit increased use of coal in power plants. Air pollution worsens (thanks in part to the wood burning stoves) and acid rain decimates much of the Northeast. Increased CO2 emissions hasten global warming. The sea level rises and coastal communities risk greater flooding as more numerous and powerful hurricanes ravage the US.

THE ECONOMY: The recession becomes a Depression as the impact of decreased mobility and soaring energy costs hit home. China decides to stop buying US Treasury notes and the US dollar hits new lows, making imported oil even more expensive.

Will any of these predictions come true? Time will tell. What can we do to prevent this Doomsday scenario? Not much. So enjoy what’s left of the era of cheap oil. We’ll all have a lot of explaining to do to our grandchildren.

For more, see www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net and www.oilcrashmovie.com or just Google “peak oil”.

Commuting By The Numbers

2011-04-18T11:33:00.004-04:00

Spring cleaning of my office last week turned up an interesting 2011 report card issued by the Connecticut DOT: a two-page summary of statistics that says a lot about the state of railroading in the “land of steady habits.”

RIDERSHIP: Passengers are slowly coming back to Metro-North: 36.67 million a year on the New Haven line in 2010, down slightly from 37.13 million in 2009. A similar trend was seen on Shore Line East (the state-owned, Amtrak-operated line from New Haven to New London), which saw 557,000 riders in 2010, a sizable dip from the 593,000 riders in 2009. The explanation for the declines after so many years of growth… the economy. But with jobs returning and gas prices soaring, 2011 promises to be another record for both lines.

BENEFITS: Each rail passenger is estimated to remove 0.83 vehicles from our roads, so more folks on the train means less pollution in the air. By CDOT’s estimates, almost 50 million gallons of fuel were saved by rail passengers in 2008 (the latest stats available). And those trips saved a billion miles of auto travel, almost a half million tons of greenhouse gases thanks to reduced emissions and added up to a dollar savings of $500 million for rail commuters.

WHO / WHERE?: Folks can’t take advantage of the train if they don’t live nearby. But using the national standard for accessibility of 2.5 miles from a boarding station, 31% of the state’s population lives “near” a station. That’s a potential ridership pool of 1.1 million people. As for their destinations, 30% of residents have jobs located within 2.5 miles of rail stations.

Developers’ new push for T.O.D. (transit oriented development) will improve these numbers, building condos and offices closer to mass transit. Stamford is a great example.

FIX FIRST: Most commuters pay no attention to the millions of dollars spent annually to keep our railroads in a state of good repair. Sure, they appreciate the handful of new M8 cars in service, but what about the tracks, bridges and overhead wires that make it possible for them to run?

CDOT is replacing 178 miles of catenary, replacing or rehabilitating 21 bridges, thousands of concrete ties and miles of welded rail. In addition, millions in Federal stimulus funds have been spent to fix up our stations.

COMMUTING COST: Though we have some of the highest commuter rail fares in the US, Metro-North tickets still cover only 69.5% of the cost of each ride. (The difference is made up in subsidies, including money raised through the gasoline tax.) But that’s nothing compared to Shore Line East where fares cover only 8.9% of the cost of each ride. Metro-North subsidies (except on the branch lines to New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury) are borne two-thirds by Connecticut and one-third by New York. On Shore Line East the 81% fare subsidy is paid 100% by the state of Connecticut.

To close that gap we need to increase ridership (almost a certainty), lower costs (not likely) or raise fares (already planned). Metro-North fares will increase 1.5% on January 1^st 2012 and an additional 1% each New Year’s day for the following six years.

So there you have them: the facts (and a few opinions) about where we stand on the future of commuter rail in Connecticut.

Who's In Charge of Our Transportation Future?

2011-04-04T12:02:00.002-04:00

Is anyone guiding our state’s transportation future? One wonders.

Three months into the Malloy administration, we still don’t have a Commissioner at the Department of Transportation. Yet, the Governor is pushing legislation to eliminate the Transportation Strategy Board just a decade after its creation.

It’s clear that we are far from solving our transportation mess, so it’s disconcerting that no individual or advisory board seems to be in charge.

We’ve had five Commissioners at the DOT since Jodi Rell became Governor, the most recent leaving last July under the cloud of an alleged scandal. So why the lack of a firm hand on the tiller of this 3,400-employee, $725 million capital budget agency?

Well, first, who would want the job? The CDOT has careened from scandal to cost-overrun, from investigation to calls for reorganization. It’s the agency we love to hate. So it’s no surprise that Governor Malloy’s national search for a new Commissioner has turned up empty so far.

The last Commissioner, Joseph Marie, came to Connecticut after a national search and made tremendous progress at rebuilding morale in the agency. His candor was refreshing. His experience on the rail side (having just designed and built Phoenix’s light rail system) was hailed as a turning point in the agency previously dominated by highways veterans. His deputy Commissioner, Jeff Parker, was similarly well versed and widely respected.

But when Marie was forced to resign amid unproven allegations of sexual improprieties… without so much as formal charges or investigations… Parker took over only to leave last month, impatient at the new Governor’s inability to give him the full title or replace him.

Why then, with the CDOT in limbo, does Governor Malloy want to eliminate the Transportation Strategy Board? At least that body had the mandate of taking a longer-term view of a 20-year plan for rail and road, airports and ports.

Created in 2001, the TSB was complemented by regional advisory TIA’s, or Transportation Investment Areas, including “The Coastal Corridor TIA” (on which I have served since its creation). With input from the TIAs, the TSB issued its first recommendations in 2003 in a comprehensive report prioritizing long overdue investment in transportation, including ordering new rail cars for Metro-North.

There were updates in 2007 and 2011 as the body explored the links between transportation and economic development.

The first TSB Chairman, Oz Griebel, went on to run for Governor. His successor, businessman Kevin Kelleher, missed many meetings and didn’t seem engaged in the TSB’s ongoing work. A third Chairman, Bruce Alexander from Yale turned the TSB into a debating club, achieving little.

On one important policy issue, tolls on our highways, the TSB did a terrible job. Unable to come to any consensus on this crucial traffic mitigation and funding source, they did what everyone previously has done with transportation: they called for another study. But the resulting report was so jumbled, offering nine different alternatives, that choosing among them was impossible and political suicide.

It didn’t help that then-governor Rell had rejected any tolling idea even as the million dollar report was being written. Neither did a series of public hearings held by the TSB around the state when the report was issued. The agency sought public comment without any explanation of the study or its proposals.

At the hearing in Norwalk only a handful of TSB members were present (with Chairman Kelleher again absent) to listen as 50 uninformed residents spouted the same old objections to tolling. What a waste.

The tolling issue has not gone away. Nor have questions about how we will fund mass transit with an ever-dwindling gasoline tax. We still don’t know if Bradley Airport should be sold or continue to be run by the state… or when we’ll replace the crumbling Stamford rail station garage. How about delays on the M8 cars due to the Japanese quake? New highway spending, repair on hundreds of decrepit bridges, so-called ‘high speed rail’ from New Haven to Springfield, development of our ports, overdue expansion of rail station parking… none of these issues seem closer to being addressed without leadership.

So as the TSB is legislated into oblivion and the Commissioner’s office at the CDOT continues to be occupied by Acting and Interim-titled placeholders, just who is watching over our state’s transportation future?

CDOT Thinks Commuters Are Stupid

2011-02-19T15:37:00.000-05:00

Jim Cameron - Chairman

The CT Rail Commuter Council’s “Winter Crisis – Commuter Summit” last week was a big success. Dozens of commuters turned out to share their horror stories about trying to ride Metro-North this winter… no heat, no information, no seats and in many cases, no trains!

Metro-North and the CT Dept of Transportation made the usual excuses and apologies, which placated few… “we’re doing the best we can”… ‘it’s not our fault the trains are so old”… and the classic, “be patient, the new M8 cars are coming.”

All of these are true. But it was in trying to explain the many delays in the delivery and testing of the new M8 cars that things got heated.

As any reader of this column knows, we’ve been waiting since 2005 for new cars to replace our decrepit fleet. Designed and built by Kawasaki, the new M8 cars look great. But they’re 15 months late into service with no real explanation as to why... or when they’ll be ready for passengers. It was time for answers.

The CT Rail Commuter Council, a creation of the legislature, has neither a budget nor much power. But the one thing state statutes say is that we may request “and shall receive” any assistance we want from the CDOT in understanding what’s going wrong with Metro-North operations.

So, to get to the bottom of the M8 delays, we requested that CDOT bring to our meeting someone from Kawasaki and from LTK (the consultant that’s been paid $27 million to oversee the M8 testing program). To our dismay, they refused. No explanation, just a “no”.

We turned to Governor Malloy’s office for help, but they didn’t even return our phone calls. So much for the first test of the Governor’s promise of open, transparent government.

Why the cover-up? What do CDOT and the Governor know about the M8 delays that they wanted to keep the experts away from our questioning? What are they hiding?

At our meeting on February 16^th we submitted a list of 32 specific questions about the M8 program and got few replies. But among the facts we did learn:

- The testing program has been underway for a year.

- The cars are showing not just “software problems” but hardware issues as well.

- Kawasaki doesn’t get paid until the cars prove they can work.

- The mandatory 4000-mile test run of the prototype cars has been started and restarted several times as new problems were identified.

- Metro-North still thinks they can fix the M8 problems and get as many as 80 into service by the end of 2011, two years behind schedule.

When a commuter asked the Interim-Commissioner of the CDOT why he wasn’t speaking specifically about the identified engineering problems with the M8 he was told that “people wouldn’t understand” them. In other words, because we’re not civil or electrical engineers (though many commuters are!), the CDOT thinks it better to just explain away this $866 million railcar as having “software problems”.

I told the Commissioner that I found his attitude insulting and condescending. Commuters on Metro-North are not stupid and we don’t need to have things “dumbed down” to be understood.

The CT Rail Commuter Council has done what it can to find the truth about the M8 delays. We’ve sent our questions along to the Transportation Committee of the state legislature.

Maybe they can get some straight answers.

Metro-North's Winter Meltdown

2011-02-07T10:16:00.001-05:00

Commuting on Metro-North has never been fun. But remember the good ol’ days when “Train time was your own time”? This winter, train time is no time. Metro-North’s New Haven division is in full meltdown.

Within the past week we have had two derailments, hundreds of late or cancelled trains and one frightening incident (caught on video) of an open door on a moving train. Half of our fleet of cars is out of service, frozen solid. Trains have broken down, without power for hours, while passengers were given no information. And as I wrote last time, we are no closer to seeing the long-delayed new M8 cars in service.

Commuters aren’t angry, they’re livid. I can’t even reprint some of the e-mails I get on a daily basis as Chairman of the CT Rail Commuter Council. The language would make a sailor blush. There have even been fist fights between some passengers.

Weekday trains have been run on a Sunday schedule. Danbury, Waterbury and even New Canaan branch lines have seen more busing than trains. On the mainline, trains arrived so crowded with standees that commuters couldn’t squeeze on even if they wanted to. E-mail alerts from Metro-North would say one thing, the platform PA’s another and you’d see a third version of reality via CleverCommute. Rumors abound but the facts are scarce.

Waterbury passengers connect to buses at Bridgeport

Finally, Metro-North wisely decided it had to cut service semi-permanently, or at least until the spring thaw, and introduced a new timetable with 10% fewer trains. Branch line busing will be the rule from Bridgeport to Waterbury, with ‘their’ diesels diverted to the mainline.

Some of this may help, at least until our oldest cars return to service. But the trains will be fewer and even shorter of cars than before. That probably means we’ll be S.R.O. in rush hour.

I am fearful of a revolt. This isn’t

Egypt

, but the anger is as strong. I’m hearing rumbling of commuter protests, like refusing to pay for their ride or staging sit-down strikes. Some are demanding a 10% fare rebate to match the reduction in service.

To head off such protests, the Council is holding a special meeting: “Winter Crisis – Commuter Summit” on Wednesday February 16^th at 7 pm at Stamford Government Center, just a short walk from the station. We have invited the President of Metro-North, the Commissioner of the CDOT, representatives from Kawasaki (builder of the new M8 cars) and LTK, the consultant being paid $27 million to oversee the M8 testing. Local elected officials have also been invited, not to speak but to listen.

Most of all, we want commuters to join us… to share their stories of late trains, broken promises and outrage. Commuters need to be heard… but they also need to hear from the railroad just why it’s done what it felt it had to.

Metro-North deserves credit for its valiant efforts to keep rail service running during blizzards and ice storms. The railroad is not to blame for the weather or the obsolete, broken down equipment bought for its use by the state, cars that should have been replaced a decade ago.

Commuters need honest answers to their questions and concerns. So, plan to join us February 16^th in Stamford, 7 pm at Government Center. Tell your friends and fellow commuters to join us.