Results tagged “mtachairmanpeterkalikow”

During a board meeting to present the MTA's 2008-2011 financial plan, MTA executive director Lee Sander confirmed yesterday that, yes, fare and toll hikes would be needed in the future because of looming billion-dollar deficits - even in spite of a current billion dollar surplus. And though some politicians were quick to criticize potential hikes (no pol wants fare increases on their watch), the Straphangers Campaign's Gene Russianoff told the Times, "[The MTA has] good arguments, and I think they’re worth listening to. We’ve been complaining for a decade that there’s this debt bomb that’s going to go off, so it would be very hypocritical to say it will solve itself in 2009.”

usher the MTA into an era of high ridership and capital improvement and help ed set up many big projects (Second Avenue Subway, East Side Access). But he also oversaw the agency during the transit strike.

Yesterday's Second Avenue Subway groundbreaking was notable for a few things: First of all, as we all know by now, it's was the fourth groundbreaking - three occurred in the 1970s, so yesterday's event was an introduction to the pomp and pageantry of subway groundbreakings for many of us. Second, it was pouring. When it rains at weddings, some people say that's lucky (though we suspect it's just to make the couple feel better). We say it's lucky that parts of the subway were already built, so the dignitaries and MTA official gathered could stay relatively dry.

It's been 33 years since the last Second Avenue Subway groundbreaking, so it's high time for new generations of straphangers to revel in the hope of a new subway line. We also expect the public -- especially the Upper East Side-residing public -- to become jaded with construction delays, traffic issues, and noise. Here's the press release from the MTA:

Tomorrow morning's historic groundbreaking ceremony for the Second Avenue Subway can be seen by all New Yorkers live on NY1, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place in one of the subway tunnels built under Second Ave. in the 1970s but never used. Due to the limited capacity of the tunnel, the MTA arranged for the live broadcast with NY1 and will open its board room at 347 Madison Avenue for members of the public to join MTA staff for a public viewing and celebration.

Continue reading "Second Avenue Subway Groundbreaking Day!"

This could also be titled "Kalikow Doesn't Care As Much About Non-Hamptons People." After receiving a complaint about the Montauk LIRR station, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow took care of the matter immediately. Corcoran agent and Montauk resident Deanna Banks wrote a letter to Hamptons.com saying that after leaving a message with Kalikow's secretary, the secretary called to say, "Mr. Kalikow said he would make efforts to fix the parking lot." Potholes were filled nine day later, ugly railroad ties are being removed, and a new shelter is being built.

News flash: The way to get stuff done at the MTA is to play MTA types against each other. There NY Times summarizes the fate of the Fulton Street Transit Hub with the headline: Planners Clash Over Transit Hub, and Riders Win.

Days away from becoming Governor, Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer appointed twelve people to head various state agencies, including the Port Authority and the MTA. Well, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow, a Pataki appointee, says he's not leaving just yet, but it seems like Elliot Sander (pictured), who was made the executive director and CEO of the MTA, will eventually take over the chairmanship. Sander is currently a corporate senior VP at transportation engineering firm DMJM Harris but may be better known to some New Yorkers as the director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at NYU's Wagner School of Public Service.

A look at some noteworthy programs this week:

In November, it was reported that, in spite of a lack of news, cell phone bids to wiring subway stations were still alive. But the Sun reports that they may actually be "dead in the tracks", as MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow isn't sure if the agency will pick a vendor:

The service providers want riders to make calls while in the tunnels. The MTA has remained adamantly opposed to chatting in transit.

Continue reading "Urban Legend in the Making: Subway Platform Cell Phone Service"

Whoa, is this an early holiday present to Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer? Or is this a fake-out to appease him for now? MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow told a state Assembly oversight hearing that he'll leave office "sometime in the second quarter": "There are things that I want to get finished. When they are finished I would like to resign." Those things being getting funding for the Second Avenue Subway and other capital projects secured.

As we all know now, the soaring glass atrium dome and underlying transit hub designed by Nicholas Grimshaw will be much more modest than originally planned (above). The problem, of course, is b-u-d-g-e-t.

Each year, Grand Central Terminal has a light show for the holidays. And this year, it's a kaleidoscope:

The walls and pillars of the main concourse will be illuminated in a joyful display of color and light created from architectural and historic elements and views of Grand Central Terminal and other well-known New York City icons. Each seven minute show, which will be accompanied by synchronized music, will feature artistically adapted images for a wondrous presentation of fluctuating forms.

Yesterday, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow revealed the 2007 $10 billion MTA budget, confirming that there will be no fare hikes in 2007 and 2009. But some transit advocates think that Kalikow's strategy of implementing hikes every other year (one is expected in 2008) is just delaying the inevitable given the crippling deficits expected. Beverly Dolinsky of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA told the Post, "[Kalikow is] putting it in the lap of the next administration. I don't know how they can say there aren't going to be any fare increases." All Gothamist wants for the holidays is a cage match between Kalikow and Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer over the state of the MTA.

- Even though Mayor Bloomberg says he'll sign the City Council's 25% pay raise (an extra $22,500 to bring the total salary to $112,500), he criticizes the fact that many City Council members are able to have other jobs, since the City Charter says City Council positions are "part-time." He also blasted the "lulus" - aka stipends of thousands of dollars - the City Council members get for chairing committees and the like. Easy for Mayor Moneybags to say!

Yowza! The NY Post reports that a Grand Central "hospitality supervisor" is accused of seducing and harassing male employees. Tourist greeters Filipp Asmolov and Mynor Federico Nunez separately say that they had affairs with boss Mercedes Mercado and when they tried to end them, she threatened them. Here's the Post on Asmolov's suit:

At first, the suit said, the strapping Asmolov was receptive when the petite Mercado pressed herself against him in the midday hours - while he was supposed to be handing out discount coupons or directing baffled tourists. They began having sex consensually, the suit said.

Continue reading "Grand Central Groping Claims"

Sweet fancy Moses, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow might leave the MTA to take a job as the head of the Real Estate Board of New York, the big real estate lobbying group! Sources tell the Daily News that Kalikow, a real estate developer in his own right (his MTA salary si $1), would only leave after securing Second Avenue Subway funding. Someone in the federal government - fund that project!

What is a Presidential trip to New York without protest? During President Bush's United Nations General Assembly address (in which he tried to emphasize that the U.S. wanted a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program), protesters rallied outside to speak out against the war in Iraq. After initially being prohibited from marching by the NYPD - which then allowed the march to take place if only on the sidewalk and on a different route - 3,000 people joined in. am New York reported that one marcher was disappointed in the turnout: Paul Rosa said, "I understand people have to work, but there are four or five million people in this city who are against the war. For protests to be effective, they have to be massive and sustained." Which makes us wonder how many people would have liked to marched but couldn't because of work. The police reported 15 arrests.

Finally, proof that public transport is crowded for a reason: The MTA says that ridership has grown 36% in the past ten years. From amNew York:

Trips on New York City Transit subway trains and buses have grown 36 percent, from 1.6 billion in 1995 to 2.2 billion in 2005. Meanwhile, the population of the city grew 7 percent from 7.6 million to 8.2 million.

Continue reading "More and More People Ride the Subways and Buses"

am New York reports that transit strike constract arbitration will start tomorrow, which is crazy. Because we're in the throes of crazy heat and stuffy subway platforms, and when the strike was on, it was cool (cold over the bridge) and we were holiday shopping. Nice for the MTA and TWU to work together so well and get this thing locked up quickly. Remember when the TWU members rejected the contract? And then the MTA wanted to settle the contract with arbitration? And then the TWU tried to get the old contract passed, but the MTA wasn't having it? And the strike itself? Ah, memories.

Pamela Tully, Forest Hills, Queens

- Last Friday we got a reminder from the Straphangers Campaign to email or fax questions to MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow as he'll be answering questions from the public in the Daily News (email AskKalikow@nydailynews.com or fax 212-643-783). We doubt our suggested question of "Why are you such a terrible leader who demoralizes not just the unions, but riders as well with your poor decisions?" or "Are you deliberately trying to sabotage the MTA's credibility?" will be submitted to him (we probably have to frame the question differently) but maybe you'll have better luck.

Check it out! The Mayor Bloomberg, hoping to make Hudson Yards lemonade out of failed Jets Stadium lemons, along with West Side Stadium opponent City Council Speaker Christine Quinn have offered the MTA $500 million for the West Side Railyards. The two officials sent the MTA an "unexpected" offer letter, which has the city paying $300 million for the "Western Rail Yard" (where the Jets Stadium would have been) and $200 million for the Eastern Rail Yard. The $300 million is already $50 million more than the Jets offered for that parcel and is in line with what the MTA wanted last year, but the MTA appraised it at $923 million. Speaker Quinn said, "Together the city must work to create a mixed-use commercial and residential district, one that protects existing residents, businesses and manufacturers while also creating new employment opportunities, affordable housing, and parks." In other words, let's jampack Manhattan with everything while the iron is hot.

Five different riders' groups - the Straphangers Campaign, the Empire State Passengers Association, the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility in New York, the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers and the Lackawanna Coalition in New Jersey - sent a letter to NYC officials citing concerns that plans for railways and a commuter terminal are dangerous. The MTA and NJ Transit are planning new tunnels and a station that are 100-150 feet underground, and the natural worry is that it will take too long to evacuate people in an emergency. The MTA's East Side Access plan, which would make the Long Island Rail Road available from Grand Central, would have passengers takes "16 high-speed escalators" that would take them 150 feet below, while NJ Transit is planning for new tunnels (can't trust Amtrak's!) under Herald Square. The NY Times reports that the groups made the letter public after they got a cursory response from the NYPD - they sent the letter to Commissioner Ray Kelly, who had one of his people send a letter to MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow to "[take] any action you deem appropriate."

- Great slide show of Weegee photographs to accompany the NY Times review of the ICP show

It seems like every May we get an announcement about the Fulton Street Transit Center. In 2004, it was an announcement an amazing new transit center would be built. Last year, it was that the project would be delayed and scaled back (a smaller glass dome, shorter hallways between lines). This year, it's more scaling back as it's $50 million over budget so far (the original estimated budget was $799 million). Apparently rising real estate costs are to blame - and we thought MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow owned a chunk of that land! The MTA may have to redesign the beautiful, glass domed entrance, though they say they are trying to "maintain the concept of a light and airy" space. By the time this project gets done, we'll be lucky if we see a concrete box with a couple windows and skylights!

Four days, four nights - that's all the time that Transport Workers Union president Roger Toussiant spent at the Tombs as he was released just now. And why? Good behavior, plus this interesting loophole, via the Daily News:

Inmates automatically get one-third off their sentences for good behavior, bringing his term to seven days.

Continue reading "TWU Prez Outta Jail Early!"