MTA Failed to Enact Highest Level Emergency Protocol
The MTA failed to follow its own emergency protocol before the blizzard that crippled large swaths of the subway system, the Daily News has learned.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority didn’t declare its highest-level Winter Operations Plan 4 in effect until Sunday when the storm was underway, officials confirmed Wednesday.
An all-hands-on-deck declaration should have been made on Saturday when the forecast first predicted a blizzard would slam the city, the 300-page plan says.
Instead, the Level 1 plan – the lowest – was officially in effect Friday into Sunday.
“I’m appalled,” a veteran NYC Transit manager said yesterday. “I’ve never seen us fall apart this way.”
An MTA official downplayed the lack of a declaration, saying the agency began gearing up for the storm Saturday without a formall directive.
The plan details critical tasks for each forecast level – including storing passenger trains in tunnels, placing portable heaters to prevent the icing of third rails and switches, and preparing snow-fighting equipment.
As the Daily News has reported, the authority’s efforts were hampered by a manpower shortage due in part to holiday vacations. Some workers who were off couldn’t make it in because of impassable roads, officials said.
Whatever the reason, several diesel locomotives that don’t require third-rail electricity – valuable equipment in keeping the rails clear and rescuing stranded passengers – were stuck in outer-borough railyards, sources said.
In one instance, a diesel was deployed on the Nos. 2 and 5 lines in the Bronx and should have run throughout the storm, said the NYC Transit manager, who is directly involved in train operations.
Instead, it returned to the yard, apparently for a crew change, but no one was there to take over, and it got snowed in, he said.
Another diesel locomotive never made it out of the same yard, the manager said. And one of the giant snow-thrower trains – capable of removing several tons of snow an hour – also sat idle for at least part of the blizzard, according to the manager.
In another lapse, some portable heating devices didn’t work, he said.
A longtime motorman assigned to another yard said it took hours for workers to dig out and put ice-scraping “shoes” on a locomotive used to clear tracks in the yard, he said.
In past storms, the diesel would have been stored at the mouth of a tunnel or barn, the motorman said.
Several parked trains that normally would have been put in service remained parked in that yard because there weren’t enough crew members to operate them, the motorman said.
Running trains frequently, including diesel and empty passenger trains, is a tactic used to keep rails from icing up or becoming covered in drifts.
“They definitely blew it,” the motorman said.
“It was systemwide failure,” said Kevin Harrington, a vice president with Transport Workers Union Local 100.
The MTA did not respond to specific claims but released a statement promising a “full review of our response” to the sixth-largest snowstorm in the city history.
“We did our best to provide service and protect our equipment given the severity of the storm,” it said.
tipshim
I agree with them . It’s not their fault Union street was not cleared out until 3:00 p.m. today. I’m sure that they had all their cars parked on union st. It’s best to blame this whole mess on the new Rov that we never had. If we would of had this third Rov, we never would of had this problem in the city. You see all the problems In the city start out as small problems in our community, and they balloon their way into the big city. Just like in CHelm Heights. Just read in the Jewish Press The Silly World of Chelm. Just like our commumity. Sounds familiar “Whatever” enough said.
confused
Where are the WEP workers? They should at least clear every corner curbside so people can cross.
confused
Where are the WEP workers? They should at least clear every corner curbside so people can cross.
I have a brainstorm
I have an idea for ch.info to enact l’toeles horabim. Make a page that people can ‘lend the spots they shoveled’ so long that the spot will become available when they return. Meaning, if I am leaving from CH for shabbos, I will post my email or cell number on the page and which street the spot is on, when I’m leaving, when I’m returning, and people that are coming for shabbos can arrange for the spot swap and then when I return after shabbos, we will meet and have the spot returned.
If you are interested in making such a page, I’ll submit my info first: Spot available on E. New York and Albany. Fully shoveled. Leaving at 1:45PM on Friday and returning Sunday approximately noon. My number is 773-606-3543. If you will dedicate a page
If you’ll dedicate a page to this idea, please post the above paragraph as the first comment. Otherwise you don’t need to post my brainstorm. After shoveling for 3 hours today I figured we may as well keep the spots for use within the JEWISH community as opposed to the CH broader community. And if someone goes to coldead and not here, it’s their loss!!
Raise the fare
You know what they should do… Raise the fare again!!!
Still Snowed In
Our street is still un-plowed. Montgomery between Albany and Troy. Looks like the plow came by with the blade about 2 feet off the ground.
perplexed
We keep hearing of manpower shortage. While it’s true that lots of city workers schedule vacations for this time of year, couldn’t the city have made better use of its army of meter maids and traffic cops? Once snow began falling, they were all MIA (which they should do more often). A blizzard of this magnitude should have been met with more efficient management of limited resources. I’m just sayin.
lloyd a cohen
The obvious how come question is–how come all other major cities in the region took preventitive action and declared snow emergencies. New York did not. The blaime is on the number one man who should have made sure all proper procedures were taken by all departments. And the person in charge of the MTA who made that decision should be retired. Even if they declared a snow emergency and nothing occurrred, so what!! Small price to pay for preventative insurance
to #1
i don,t understand what this has to do with rabbi braun becoming rov.& if rabbi bogomilsky would have become rov would the snow have been plowed if rabbi bogomilsky would have become rov.i don,t understand what this has to do with rabbi braun becoming rov.please explain.
tipshim
To # 9 In. CHelm Heights nothing makes sense. Dude get with the times.
CRIMINALS!!!
1) THE WHOLE MTA SYSTEM SUCKS THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO RUN THEIR OWN SYSTEM THEY FAIL IN EVERYTHING THEY DO INCLUDING THE BLIZZARD. 2) THEY WANT TO RAISE THE PRICES ON METRO CARDS AGAIN AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THE MORE THEY RAISE THE PRICES THE WORSE THE SERVICE GETS. THIS IS CRAZY!!! LET’S ALL PROTEST!!!
CRIMINALS # 2
WHY IS THE MTA RAISING THE PRICES ON METO CARDS ?? WHAT FOR ?? DO THEY HAVE WHAT TO SHOW FOR THEMSELVES FOR THEM TO RAISE THE PRICES ?? THE SERVICE STINKS IT’S SO BAD. THERE IS NO REASON IN THE WORLD THAT THEY SHOULD RAISE THEIR PRICES ON ANYTHING!!!