Passengers crowded trains today at the Atlantic Avenue station in Brooklyn.
Angel Franco/The New York Times
It's hard to see how repairs could take 3-5 years. That must be a blue-state thing that those of us in the heartland don't understand.
Posted on 01/24/2005 3:05:35 PM PST by 68skylark
Passengers crowded trains today at the Atlantic Avenue station in Brooklyn.
Angel Franco/The New York Times
It's hard to see how repairs could take 3-5 years. That must be a blue-state thing that those of us in the heartland don't understand.
Take the A flat Train
The biggest challenge in this city is making repairs like this while at the same time trying to operate the subway system as close to a normal level of service as possible. If the city were willing to shut down these lines completely, it would take much less time to do the repairs. But shutting down those lines means bringing large sections of the city to a grinding halt.
This fire was this weekend??
Geez.
That makes some sense.
Still, I bet that a private sector contractor could get the job done a whole lot faster than 3-5 years, even with the trains running at the same time. (They'd probably be a lot cheaper, too. That's just my guess. Correct me if I'm wrong about that.)
Yeah, I guess it was yesterday (Sunday).
I can't believe the whole C line is shut down. What a disaster.
--I think I have a glimmer of understanding. You can probably start with utility management who are totally political and then throw in a separate union local for nearly every switch, relay or splice---
It's a govt. job, 5 years is the good news.
Another issue they face is that the city's subway system is so old. It works extremely well for a system of its age, but when you replace major elements of the signal/communications system you can't just go out and buy new components off the shelf -- you have to replace additional things that may be in good working order just so they'd be compatible with new hardware.
Having said that, I think 3-5 years does seem like an awfully long time the more I think about it. It took just over two years to get the PATH station under the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan back open after 9/11.
Union workers!!!!
In the 1950's & 1960's, I rode the NYC subways frequently, and later designed motors for a subway system ventilation upgrade. Technically, the subways are a "neat" idea.
Mass transit systems are an artifact of the past, as is NYC. The real problem with mass transit is really personal safety. Modern electronic systems can help there also, but in extremity, it comes done to individual action - you've got to fight the threat. That idea was "shot" down in NYC years ago, when self-defense was still OK in most places.
But that's where modern electronics can simplify the job. It's sometimes better to start with a high-level overview, and a whole new system.
Will Bloomberg prosecute the homeless firebug for "smoking" inside a city facility?
This is scary, folks. As an NYC resident, I was under the impression that security cameras, etc were in place to detect this type of stuff before it results in ruin. If an al Queda operative got into that room of equipment at 8:30 am on a Monday morning, he probably could've engineered a giant subway crash along the lines of the Moorgate disaster in London back in the early 80s.
This is another example of Bloomberg's utter incompetence at running a major city. A spineless left-wing dwarf who spends 90% of his time villifying tobacco smokers, grandstanding against the 2d Amendmenent, and clamoring NY taxpayers to fork over a billion dollars for a stadium that will host 8 football games per year. Likewise, the anti-American incompetent scumbags on the City Council waste time passing useless resolutions against the Iraq war while their own city remains woefully unprepared for terrorist attacks. Mark my words, the city will be hit again, and hit hard, with these morons running the show.
Remember the big LA earthquake (Loma Prieta I believe) back in the early 90's. The highways including I-5 the major north south interstate were out - major bridges totally destroyed.
Early estimates were that the repairs would take 2 to 3 years. California Governer Pete Wilson insisted on including "large" performance bonuses in the repair contracts for the major bridges.
The contractor on the main I-5 bridge repair (Santa Clarita) ended up completing the job in something like 7 months - working crews around the clock, 7 days a week.
He made more money in bonuses than on the original bid! Everyone was exstatic.
The capitalist system is an incentive system - New York State ought to try it! But Elliott Spitzer would have a fit!
heh - they fixed the buckled 10 freeway at Robertson Blvd in about 10 days ...
I suspect the 3 to 5 year quote is intended to build pressure in favor of continuing plans to build a Second Avenue subway. I believe the fire was started by some nut, and the damage was indeed serious; but I think also that the unions are using this to push for another subway lines (more jobs, more graft).
The problem is that in New York City, it will take 7 months just to put the project out for bid.
There's probably some grandstanding and hoping for federal funds here. I doubt it will take 3-5 years. The governor has proposed a direct rail link from Lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport, using the same tunnel the A train does to go from Lower Manhattan to Downtown Brooklyn. He even tried to divert some of the 9/11 funds to it in the name of "rebuilding" what was never there in the first place. This 3-5 year estimate may be an excuse to get the project funded and built. Just a guess.
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