December 2011The News Publication for MTA Metro-North Railroad Employees

INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

It’s all ours Newly appointed MTA Executive Director Joseph Lhota talks about working together to make our MTA, a better MTA. See details on page 2.

All about you! See how you came together at Diversity Awareness events and our GCT Safety & Health Fair. Take a look at page 4 – 5.

We’rrrrre back! It’s all trains for Port Jervis commuters thanks to our great workforce! Read about their efforts on page 6 – 7.

A good disaster! Our disaster simulation in New Canaan helped prep emergency response groups. See what happened on page 8.

Best in class!

Metro‑North scored a one‑two victory at the

recent Brunel Awards cere mony in Washington, D.C., bringing home two awards, including the prestigious 2011 Jury Prize For Overall Design Excellence, which was announced at the event.

“I am extremely proud to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the men and women of Metro‑North. They worked hard to make Metro‑North the great railroad that it is. It is due to their dedication and talent which makes it possible for us to be the first American railroad to win the Brunel Jury Prize,” President Howard Permut noted.

“I want to thank the jury panel for recognizing our dedication to serving our customers, our continuing work toward a more efficient operation, and our commit‑ment to sustainability. This is a great honor,” he added.

In describing the selection, the report of the Awards Jury stated: “Metro‑North carries the most passengers every year on the American Read us at home at www.yourmnr.org

continent and has undergone both extraordinary changes of company culture as well as the shift to incorporation of design as a strategic business tool.”

The Jury prize is based on review of five distinct projects that we submitted under specific categories earlier this year, including:• Harmon Coach and Locomo‑

tive Shops (Freight and Railway Support Buildings)

• Yankees- E. 153rd Street Station (Passenger Station Buildings)

• Operations Control Center (Technical Infrastructure and Design)

• M8 Rail Cars (Rolling Stock) • The Home of the Stars Public Art Work at

South Walls of Yankees- E. 153rd Street Station Pedestrian Bridge (Industrial Design, Graphics and Art Branding)

Previously the Harmon Coach and Lo co mo-tive Shops had won an award in their category.

The Brunel Award competition, open to public and private railway organizations, recognizes and promotes the best in railway architecture, engineering, landscape and environmental design, product design, locomotive and car design, graphic arts, and corporate branding amongst the world’s railways. This year, 150 entries were received from 43 organizations in 15 nations.

They said Metro-North is the best, and we are, as we took the coveted Jury Prize for Overall Design Excellence at the recent Brunel Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. President Howard Permut (4th from left), who accepted the award, stands with (l.-r.): Jury Prize Chairman Prof. Ronald Kemnitzer; MTA Board Member (Orange County) Susan Metzger; C4IDT Chairman James Michel; U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood; Capital Programs Senior Director Timothy McCarthy; recently retired Harmon Shops Project Manager Michael Sickenius; General Chairman IAM John Lacey; Capital Programs Director-Special Projects Mari Miceli; and Maintenance of Equipment Ass’t. Chief Mechanical Officer Michael Yaeger.

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Letter from the Executive Director

November 14, 2011

Dear Colleagues,

As a lifelong New Yorker, a rider, and a former Board member, I understand how critical the MTA is to our economy and our way of life here in New York. Since Governor Cuomo announced his recommen-

dation to appoint me as chairman and chief executive officer of the MTA, I have spent a good deal of time getting to know the organization better. I know there’s a lot for me to learn, and over the next few months I will be taking the time to listen to all of you, to our custom-ers and to community leaders across our region.

What I’ve seen so far of the MTA has impressed me. In a time of extremely limited resources, you continue to innovate and introduce new ideas even as you have reduced expenses across the board. As someone joining the MTA from outside of the organization, I can tell you that people across the region are noticing and appreciating the great work you’ve done with difficult conditions. I know how hard you have worked, and I realize it’s not easy.

Despite these efforts, major challenges lie ahead. Our operating budget is extremely fragile, and funding for our vital capital program runs out early next year. Yet as we face these challenges, we cannot lose sight of our primary mission: to provide efficient, cost effective and customer friendly transportation to the 8.5 million daily commuters who rely on the MTA every day.

I am extremely excited about joining you in this mission. While some of our goals may change, I want to continue the progress you have made in improving service and customer communications, and in making the MTA a more efficient and effective organization.

I look forward to meeting and hearing from as many of our more than 65,000 employees as possible in the coming months. I know that what you have to tell me about this organization is critical to its long-term success and I will be working on ways to make it possible for you to tell me what’s on your mind.

While my role will be to provide leadership and direction, it is – in all ways – our MTA. We are entrust-ed to make it not only more cost effective, but better, and for that I will need your ideas, your support, and your best efforts. Together we can and will make the MTA the best it can possibly be.

Sincerely,

Joseph J. Lhota

Customers and employees alike on select Hudson and Harlem

Peak trains can now listen to the sound of... well, silence!

That’s because our “Quiet CALMmute” pilot pro gram started mid‑October, bringing designated quiet cars to approximately 31 trains that operate between Grand Central and Pough‑keepsie, Beacon, and Wassaic.

These select peak‑period quiet cars are designated in the timetables by a “Q”!

This effort was aptly led by our Operations Administration and Operations Planning & Analysis Departments, with support from Operations Services, General Counsel, Customer Service, Corporate & Public Affairs, ACRE, Labor Relations, MTA Press Office and MTA Police.

Here’s where an oasis of calm can be found: During the AM Peak, the LAST CAR of the select trains will be designated a quiet car. Then during the PM Peak, the FIRST CAR of these trains will be designated a quiet car. (Reverse‑peak trains are not included in this pilot program.)

It’s a voluntary effort: We’re asking ALL Quiet Car commuters to:• Not use cell phones.• Disable sound features on computers

& other electronic devices.• Conduct conversations in a

subdued voice.• Use headphones at a volume that

cannot be heard by fellow passengers.

To spread and reinforce the message about “Quiet CALMmute,” our conductors have special “Shhhh” cards that explain the rules of etiquette in English and Spanish. These will be handed out on an “as needed basis” basis. (We’ll still continue to make all regular announcements in the designated quiet cars.)

To determine whether or not to expand the program, we conducted a customer survey in November to gauge customers’ reactions. 90% of the 4,388 customers surveyed (860 were riding in a Quiet Car at the time of the survey) were satisfied with the program (42% were very satisfied).

We launched quiet cars on our Hudson and Harlem Line service after careful evaluation of a similar program on our West of Hudson service which showed that 82% of 1,022 Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Line customers surveyed were satisfied with quiet cars.

Now, how’s that for the sound of success?

Shhhhh…Listen

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Beavers may be some of the most ingenious engineers we know,

but in doing what they do best — building dams — they also managed to block one of our culverts in Bethel on our Danbury Branch!

(A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment.)

It’s obvious that these industrious characters regarded the stream as prime property! And as they es tab‑lished their “waterfront community,” it was suspected they may have contributed to flooding of nearby local roads … hmmmm…

The drama started when our Track Department was called to inspect a blocked culvert; because beavers were the prime suspects, Doug Schroeder, Senior Engineer-Hy‑drology and Sara Gianazza, Manager‑Environmental Compli‑ance & Services, were enlisted to check out if they were involved.

Unfortunately beavers building dams in culverts are very common. Beavers are attracted to culverts by the sound of running water and because the culvert is a smaller area channeling the water, the dam can be built quickly.

They discovered some beavers had indeed built a fortress‑like dam across the culvert, blocking the water. And although it wasn’t the cause of the town road flooding, they didn’t want any possibility of the beavers being blamed, or the culvert compromised.

Schroeder arranged for a contrac‑tor to come in to clean the culvert, remove the dam and discourage the beavers, but that didn’t work — they came back and rebuilt!

So Gianazza called the experts — the area U.S. Department of Agricul‑ture’s (USDA) Wildlife Department.

After a thorough review, the USDA’S wildlife specialist helped us build a special flow control device around the culvert to deter the beavers from their dam efforts!

“It’s a simple, but very effective, device — a 30-inch tube runs out of the culvert far enough away from the opening to keep the water flowing,” Gianazza noted. “Around the culvert inlet we set up a 4‑foot by 4‑foot wire cage that acts as a barrier and keeps the beavers at a distance — in fact, it was erected far enough away from the culvert opening that even if the beavers built the dam again, it wouldn’t restrict the water flow.” It worked — the beavers have not been seen again in that area!

You might think this is quite a big effort for a bunch of beavers but think of it as a form of community goodwill — to our animal neigh bors! “Beavers aren’t endangered species… they are considered nuisance animals, so they are not protected and cannot be removed and relocated from problem areas. So with a little engineering ingenuity of our own and great assistance from the USDA, we are keeping our culvert open, and the beavers hopefully have set up ‘house’ in another area!” Gianazza enthused.

Don’tLeave it to

Beaver…

Metro-North personnel proved eventually to be better engineers than those clever beavers!

continued on page 11

You may have seen some of the advertising for the “new” LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lighting products that are beginning to flood the market.

While some specific products are new, LED lighting in fact has been around for years, mostly used for indica-tor lighting on everything from TV’s to our train controls. Our Signal Department has even used LED technology for crossing lights since 2008.

And we’ve all seen the press about the LED lighting that was recently installed for the constellation in GCT.

But now lighting manufacturers have expanded LED applications to area lighting. The new product lines run the gamut from high-mast parking lot lighting to spot lights to the four-foot fluorescent bulbs you have in your workshop at home.

According to Capital’s Senior Electrical Engineer Frank Streeter, “Lighting manufacturers see LED technology as the next great advance in lighting. Similar to the improve-ments we saw in moving to compact fluorescents (CFL’S) from incandescent lighting, LED’s represent great oppor-tunities in terms of improvements in energy consumption, reliability, durability and useful life.”

MNR LED’ING THE WAY For all of the reasons Streeter mentions, Metro-North is currently testing a number of LED lighting installations. For example, next time you are in the Dining Concourse or Market in GCT take a look at the 1,100 LED lights recently installed by GCT electricians William Sydnor, Roland Davis, Frank Martusciello, and Joshua Riddick. Not only will these lights save us nearly $40,000 per year in energy costs, they also last nearly 10 times longer than the old MR16’s they replaced.

And while you’re in GCT go check out the recessed LED lights Capital’s Chief Architect George Monasterio just had installed in the new TVM center. These lights use 10% less electricity than a CFL and 80% less than incandescent lights.

There’s more — Streeter is also working with our Structures Department to install small scale LED pilots for station lighting on the Hudson Line, and our friends at the New York Power Authority (NYPA) currently have plans for LED installations at our North White Plains Shop and are evaluating potential parking garage applications.

But as is the case with many booming technologies, “Buyer Beware” rings true with LED lighting. Streeter explains that “many new manufacturers are attempting to jump into this hot market with inferior products. While established lighting manufacturers provide a level of comfort in the quality of the product, it comes at a cost. You should do your research and not just buy in to the hype.”

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W hat it takes to begin to ensure their physical and

financial health for life! That’s because a total of 777 employees attended the GCT Health & Safety Fair in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall in early November. The event featured about 30 vendor participants, who brought their expertise about health issues, personal finance, employee benefits, and more into one centralized location. There were representatives from the MTA Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Railroad Retirement Board, OHS, Medco, and more! Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make this event such a success!

777 More People Now Know…

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T hese photos aren’t of a Beatles oldies fest, but “coming together” is the

concept behind the series of Diversity Awareness events that were held in October.

Coordinated by our Employee Relations & Diversity Department with Metro‑North’s first‑ever Inclusion Council, the celebratory events at New Haven, Harmon, North White Plains and Grand Central Terminal

brought together employees so they could meet up, have some fun, and celebrate our differences!

The gatherings included tons of activities such as tasty local and family food special‑ties… fun and engaging activities… loads of information from OHS, Safety, Training, etc.

Last, but not least, the events gave employ‑ees the opportunity to network with

coworkers, sharing workplace experiences as well as brainstorming about ways in which to bring more creativity to the workplace.

Serving as diversity ambassadors were the new Inclusion Council members—who signed up to make a difference at Metro‑North—who mingled, listened and took notes! They’ll work to try to implement some of your best suggestions from these events!

North White PlainsGCT

HarmonNew Haven

GCT Photos: Meredith Conti

New Haven, Harmon, North White Plains Photos: Patrick Cashin

6 7T hanks to an extraordi‑nary rebuilding effort by

Metro‑North employees, and the tremendous cooperation and assistance received from Orange & Rockland Coun‑ties, full train service resumed on the Port Jervis Line on Mon day, November 28, one full month earlier than expected!

We have returned to a full schedule of 26 daily trains and 14 trains each weekend day, as indicated in the new Novem‑ber 28th timetable.

And our customers couldn’t be happier as we carried almost 2,100 commuters on the first 9 trains that departed Port Jervis Station yesterday.

“We couldn’t have made such remarkable progress without the tremendous rebuilding effort mounted by our employees — they gave their best day in and day out,” Presi‑dent Howard Permut noted. “Their work is why we were able to resume full Port Jervis Line service a month ahead of schedule. This achievement is reflective of how hardwork‑ing our entire workforce is when it comes to delivering extraordinary customer service.”

Permut also extended appreciation to our service partner NJ TRANSIT, our sister agency MTA Bus, and Leprechaun Lines, all of whom played key roles in helping to provide alternative shuttle bus/train service — by far the largest busing effort in our history — until we could restore full train service on the line.

Additionally, Permut acknowledged the tremendous cooperation and assistance received from Orange & Rockland Coun‑ties, and the Village of Sloatsburg, as well as the property owners along our right‑of‑way who granted us access so that we could build access roads, receive deliveries and perform critical repair work.

An early morning Port Jervis Line train is pictured at Harriman Station on Monday,

November 28th, when full train service resumed a month earlier than expected!

Tremendous ProgressSince the end of August, when flooding and catastrophic damage associated with Tropical Storm Irene devastated 14 miles of the Port Jervis Line, track repairs have been underway by our very own workforce. The progress of our employees’ effort has been so great that the amount of work that had to be done by a third party contractor has been significantly reduced.

In addition, the cost of repairs, substitute bus service and lost revenue currently is estimated between $30 million and $40 million, less than the original $60 million estimate. This cost reduction is due in part to good planning for the substitute bus service and the efficiency of the work being performed by our employees.

Given the tremendous progress made to date, the original estimate for completion of all Port Jervis Line repairs has been moved forward from fall 2012 to June 2012.

all the difference in bringing the Port Jervis Line

back...”

Temporary Schedule AdjustmentsCompared to the pre‑storm schedule, train running times will be slightly longer to accommodate continuing work.

Travel time for eastbound trains (to Hoboken/ New York-Penn Station) is three minutes longer, while travel time for westbound trains (to Port Jervis) is up to 7 minutes longer.

The additional running time is required due to slower speeds in effect over approximately 31/2 miles of track between Suffern and Harriman and because only one of the two tracks between Suffern and Sloatsburg has been returned

to service. All trains have to use one track in that area. Other travel time adjustments are made to individual trains to account for train movement in single track territory.

We plan to return to a pre‑storm schedule on January 15, 2012.

We’re Back: Train Service Resumes on the Port Jervis Line!

‘‘ Our employees have made

7 7What Was DoneWe had to quickly construct a new railroad where the infrastructure was most severely damaged: • Thousands of feet of washed out track have

been restored (requiring many tons of fill material), and resurfaced with new ballast. (Track ballast is crushed stone forming the track bed upon which railroad ties are laid.) Also, tons of debris have been removed from along the tracks.

• Several new culverts have been installed, and two bridge back walls were completely rebuilt. (A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment.)

• Some 150,000 tons of ballast and other fill was salvaged for the rebuilding effort. An abandoned damaged stone bridge was filled with concrete to stabilize it while maintaining the historic features of the structure.

• A scour hole beneath a bridge pier was filled in and protected with riprap (rock or other material used to armor shorelines, stream beds, bridge abutments, pilings and other shoreline structures against erosion). Scour holes are caused by swiftly moving water, compromising the integrity of a structure.

• Riprap was placed on embankment sections prone to washouts to help protect against future flooding events.

What’s Left To Do• We will continue to fill in washed out areas

of the remaining track embankment with riprap.

• We will install slope protection and new drainage and piping structures to help prevent future washouts on the track.

• We will conduct the final surfacing and grading of the remaining track to restore it to service. (Track surfacing is adjusting the vertical profile of the rails. Track grading refers to the slope of the track.) Any necessary touch up or finalization of

the slope protection and placement of riprap, along with additional track resurfacing will be accomplished in the spring of 2012.

We’re Back: Train Service Resumes on the Port Jervis Line!

Many have described our rebuilding effort on the Port Jervis Line “extraordi-nary.” We have received accolades from our customers, elected officials in Orange and Rockland County and from members of our board of directors — all of which were reflected in the coverage we received in local and national news media. But, frankly, Metro-North is known for its extraordinary performance in difficult situations — this effort went far beyond that watermark.

We were able to accomplish so much in a short amount of time. The flooding and catastrophic damage associated with Tropical Storm Irene devastated 14 miles of the Port Jervis Line, and many experts estimated it would take almost a year before we would be able to restore train service.

You proved them wrong. From the moment this catastrophe occurred, we all came together as a team and dedicated ourselves to restoring the line as quickly as possible. So much was done by so many of you. Some surveyed the site from the ground and, for the first time, from the air. Others created the contracts and legal agreements necessary to allow us to perform the work. On the service side, an entire bus operation was planned and implemented within days, with the help of MTA Bus. In addition, we worked with NJ Transit on a rail service plan that would support the bus operation — and best serve our customers. Teams of people managed the numerous and varied contractors who were assessing damage, delivering materials and performing repair work. Employees in the field labored around the clock to rebuild the line’s infrastruc-ture. And throughout every stage, we mounted a comprehensive and unprec-edented communication effort to keep our customers and all other area stake-holders informed every step of the way. We also kept track of our spending and worked with our insurance carrier and with FEMA to ensure reimbursement of our costs to the maximum degree possible.

The progress we made was so great that the amount of work needed to be done by a third party contractor has been significantly reduced. The cost of repairs, substitute bus service and lost revenue currently is now between $30 million and $40 million, far less than the original $60 million estimated. This is due, in part, to the efficiency of your efforts.

On the first day of full train operation, MTA Executive Director Joseph Lhota and I greeted returning customers at Harriman Station. He and I observed first hand how your work so positively impacted and impressed our customers.

I wanted to be sure to pass along at least one of Mr. Lhota’s complimentary remarks from that day: “The entire MTA family is proud of the extraordinary effort made by Metro-North employees to bring this line back ahead of sched-ule and under budget. It was important to me to be in Harriman to welcome our riders back, and to a person they were grateful for the work you did and thrilled to see their train pull in.”

These sentiments were echoed by our Port Jervis Line customers them-selves. Their appreciation is expressed in the following comments:

“Fantastic… Thank you… Great Job… This makes it so much easier… You peo-ple are the real deal… The crews were fantastic through this whole thing… It was so quick, thanks… You took care of us, didn’t leave us hanging… My family is so happy that I can get home earlier… This makes my day a lot easier… Please thank those out on the tracks doing the work, we can’t…”

And, it should also be acknowledged that on our first day back in service, we operated every train on time. People truly notice and appreciate the fine work you do on a daily basis, and you should take great pride in your amazing accomplishments on the Port Jervis Line.

I know I do. Again, thank you for all your hard work on behalf of Metro-North, and our customers.

Sincerely,

Howard Permut

Thanks For Your Rebuilding Efforts

8 9

The customer noticed it as the train approached New Canaan in the early

morning: A small envelope filled with a white powder, which would prove to be anthrax!

Panic erupts on the train, much to every‑one’s delight! That’s because this is the scenario for Metro‑North’s most recent disaster exercise, held in early November, with first responders in New Canaan, CT, mem‑bers of the MTA Police Department and regional Emergency Services groups. Realism is, of course, critical to the exercise’s success!

“We came up with this scenario because it enabled us to put an emphasis on interagen‑cy communication,” Deputy Director, Safety Joe Streany explained.

”Also, participants got to practice proper procedures for evacuating a train. Other exercise objectives included evaluating responders on response, incident manage‑ment, inter‑agency coordination and, of course, service recovery.”

“Every year, we conduct an exercise in a different part of our territory to help the railroad and the communities it serves to be

better prepared for real world emergencies,” Metro‑North President Howard Permut said.

“Simulations such as this one play a crucial role in educating first responders about the special circumstances of an operating railroad with live power and real train traffic.”

“A well‑planned, full‑scale training exercise like this tests the capabilities, resources and preparedness of our first responders,” New Canaan Police Chief Ed Nadriczny said. “As many residents in our community utilize the Metro‑North services on a daily basis, this real life scenario allowed us to work closely with the railroad. It turned out to be a very valuable training and learning experience.”

The goal of the exercise was to establish and maintain timely and effective interagen‑cy communications between Metro‑North and other responding agencies from initial notification and dispatch until restoration of service has been completed. Providing information to customers on board and at stations was also practiced.

In addition, emergency personnel got to use the Incident Command System (ICS) and conduct the exercise using a Unified Command structure. These are emergency response protocols used on a nationwide basis. Emphasis was placed upon the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (it was anthrax, after all).

Participating local agencies included: the New Canaan Police and Fire Departments, and CERTs (Community Emergency Response Teams) from New Canaan, Fairfield, Westport and Wilton. Also present were the New Canaan Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Fairfield County Hazardous Incident Response Team (HazMat) of Westport.

But the real stars of the exercise were the volunteer “anthrax attack” victims from SLOB’s (don’t laugh… it stands for Service League of Boys-New Canaan) and the Police Explorers from Bridgeport and Fairfield. The 40 volunteers all gave Oscar‑worthy performances.

“They definitely added an element of realism to the event,” Streany noted. “You couldn’t have asked for a better disaster.”

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Get Perky…

Your dollars go further with savings on restaurants, entertainment, clothing, travel, electronics, household goods, and more, when you sign up for the new MTA Perks online discounts program which leverages the buying power of MTA’s 65,000 employees.

Sign up at http://mta .corporate perks .com using MTA as your company code, your MTA email address (you can use a personal email address too), and a unique password. Use the “My Account” settings in the upper right corner to personalize your preferences and method of payment, track your purchases and rewards points, custom‑ize email offers, send invitations, personalize your shopping categories, and more. And you can redeem your accumulated points for even greater discounts.

Shopping is easy. To get a restaurant discount, for example, you simply purchase the discount certificates online using your account. You’ll find local bargains and discounts from major retailers posted daily. Even when special discounts are not available at a retailer’s website, you still earn rewards points, or Wow points, simply by shopping through the corporate portal. The points can be cashed in directly for purchases, trans‑ferred to someone else’s account, applied to an Amazon discount card, or even donated to your preferred charities.

And if you create your own Shopping Goddess or Shopping God avatar under your account profile, you can earn some recognition and rewards points by writing up reviews and shopping tips for your fellow MTA employees. So check it out, start shopping, and saving!

If you have questions or comments about the portal, send an email to mtaperks@mtahq.org, and they’ll get back to you.

Halloween (October 31) definitely brought our customers using the

Hudson Line and Port Jervis Line a real treat when a brand new 96-space parking lot opened for business at Beacon Station.

The 32,500-square-foot lot, which is built on property already owned by Metro‑North, benefitted customers on both sides of the Hudson for two main reasons:

The lot was originally built as part of Metro‑North’s emergency response to the extensive damage Tropical Storm Irene wreaked on our Port Jervis Line. Making way to Beacon Station on our Hudson Line was one of several options we offered displaced Port Jervis Line customers as our employees worked to restore full service (which happened on November 28th).

Also important was that the new parking space would significantly help to ease the Beacon Station wait‑list for parking permits. The list had 275-plus customers waiting for parking permits!

The lot was constructed literally in little over a month… All permits for the lot were

snatched up by grateful customers before the lot opening!

According to Business Development, Facilities & Marketing’s Assistant Director – Parking Services Phil Petillo, “This was truly a win‑win situation. We managed to help our Port Jervis Line customers with this additional travel option. Plus, because Beacon ridership is steadily increasing, we were able to address some of the parking permit requests for Beacon Station — that’s what we aim for… excellent customer service!”

The parking facility was built through some fine teamwork by Procurement & Material Management, Environmental Compliance & Services, Capital Engineering, Construction Management, and of course Business Development, Facilities & Marketing.

“It was great working with the other Metro‑North departments to get this space built in so short a time — with teamwork, we can accomplish a lot,” Petillo said.

The parking lot is operated by LAZ parking which oversees a total of 10,700 other parking spaces for us on all 5 rail lines in New York State.

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Pleasantville

Planning to Perfection in

Work on restoring the 19‑foot Sunnyside Ave, Bridge near our Pleasantville Station on the Harlem Line was completed this fall, and the bridge is looking good!

According to Leon Kagan, Deputy Director – Structure Dept., the scope of work was to replace the superstructure of the bridge for both Tracks 1 & 2 of the Harlem Line. To do this only required continuous track outages that took place during two weekends in May and June. This, of course, greatly minimized the project’s impact on our service!

“It was a complex project in the sense that many departments had a hand in the rebuilding,” Kagan explained. “Throughout, we (Structure) worked with Track, Power, Operations Services, and Communications & Signals, to ensure that every step of the project was carefully thought out and planned to perfection.

“And through the meticulous planning and coordination, we were able to conduct the work with the least impact on our train service,” he added.

To get the project in full swing, the Structure group, which is based in Beacon, fabricated four pre‑casted and reinforced concrete slabs, each of which was between 30,000-45,000 pounds apiece!

Once equipment was in place and materials were on hand, Joe Mercurio (Supervisor,

Structure) and his staff had to erect about 100 detour signs to direct road traffic around the work… and they had to cover and uncover the signs every day! “We had 10 people doing this and it literally took us about 60 minutes daily!” Kagan noted.

Next they prepped the area for demolition of the old tracks by installing temporary ballast retainers between adjacent tracks, relocating the signal cable, and removing the siding track. (The siding is the area where trains or high‑rail equipment can be stored.)

Here’s an example of well-oiled teamwork: the Power Dept. de‑energized the third rail; the Track Dept. removed the existing track panels and ballast; the Structure Dept. demolished the existing concrete superstruc‑ture, cleaned the work area, checked the structural integrity of the abutment walls, used a 250-ton crane to install the new superstructure (concrete slabs we talked about earlier), and finally fabricated and installed the new ballast retainer.

For good measure, they rehabilitated the wing walls (the retaining wall extensions of abutments intended to restrain and hold in place the side slope materials of an approach embankment), re‑sloped the siding surface, and painted the entire superstructure along with new wing walls and abutment walls.

Voila! A brand new bridge… looking good!

Who can forget such advertising slogans as “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t,” “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” or “Where’s the beef?” (The fact you remember all of them is a tribute to Madi‑son Avenue’s copywriters.)

And now “If you see something, say something” joins their ranks, proudly displayed on a banner above Madison Avenue at 48th Street. It was recognized as one of the nation’s most significant advertising slogans (chosen in an online survey sponsored by Advertising Week) at an annual gathering of advertising and marketing professionals hosted by Crain’s Publishing.

Winners – which include advertising icons as well – are honored with streetlight banners along Madison Avenue’s Advertising Walk of Fame, and the MTA’s security slogan was added in October. Advertising icons that the slogan joins include Tony the Tiger (he’s “gr‑r‑reat”), the GEICO gecko, Colonel Sanders, and the Serta sheep.

The slogan was developed by Korey Kay and Partners, MTA’s long‑time ad agency.

Previous slogan winners include:•VirginiaisForLovers

(Virginia Bureau of Tourism)•LikeaGoodNeighbor,StateFarmisThere

(State Farm)•WeDeliverforYou

(The United States Postal Service)•MeltsInYourMouth,NotInYourHand(M&M’s)•Canyouhearmenow?(Verizon)•WhenItAbsolutely,Positively,HastoBeThereOvernight(FedEx)

•ImaginationatWork(General Electric)•Where’stheBeef?(Wendy’s)•Amindisaterriblethingtowaste

(United Negro College Fund)•Sometimesyoufeellikeanut,sometimesyoudon’t(Almond Joy/ Mounds)

The sparkling new Sunnyside Ave. Bridge results from great teamwork and meticulous planning.

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Created By

Real “MAD MEN”

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By 2013 We Will Achieve:

98% CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONWe spoke to some employees at New Haven about how we could attain this goal.

Ronald PaulElectrician We need to provide clean trains, on‑time service, and reason‑able fares. The M8s are going to make a vast improvement in service, and that also should make customers happy.

Paul DonovanSheetmetal WorkerOn‑time per for‑mance is the biggest thing we need to pay attention to in order to keep our cus tom ers happy. We need to do our best to respond to

mechanical failures, whether it is due to heat or snow.

Ed Doody, Jr.Laborer On time perform‑ance is something our customers look forward to — they appreciate that we get them to work on time. Customers are also very happy with the new M8s.

Judy Ann LaFrance-ZwackAMS TechnicianWith the Customer Surveys, you get an accurate reading as to what needs to be repaired, changed, or improved. Speaking to and interacting

with the customers themselves is the best way to find out what is important to them.

George BernklauStoreroom Clerk II Keep the trains running well, especially in the winter. Hopefully the roll out of the M8s will really help make the customers happier.

Daniel TuckerStructures MechanicWe need to continue providing on‑time trains like we do, provide clean cars and customer friendly service. Clean stations and

facilities are also very important.

Michael PimpinelliShop Superintendent S&I FacilityBeing in the M of E Department, I think we need to increase our focus on the 60-day and 92-day

inspections to ensure the cars go out and stay out for the entire time. Make sure the cars are as safe, efficient, and reliable as they can be.

Monique PatrickSecretaryProvide customers with more timely information. Lots of customers don’t get the information they need in a timely manner, or

sometimes it’s not accurate. We need to continue to update our technology and make customers aware of what methods we have to communicate with them.

I would like to commend the crew of my train. On Friday, Sept. 24 I was in the front car of the 4:52 Croton Harmon express. At about Greystone our train hit a large tree that had fallen to the tracks. The engineer did a great job of bringing the train to a controlled stop. The crew kept everyone calm and informed. Fortunately we were at the station and were able to quickly transfer to another train. The crew deserves all our thanks. — JOHNBARAN

CUSTOMERCORNERThis column will highlight a customer letter that shows how, on a daily basis, our employees’ dedication and hard work contribute toward Metro-North’s reputation as a brand name for excellence.

Streeter continues, “There are many quality products on the market, but only a few with effective financial paybacks at this time. For us right now, locations that are difficult to access or lights that are on 24/7 make good candidates. As

LED’s take hold of the market, the price will come down and that will make LED’s viable in broader applications.”

While a change in light bulbs may be a somewhat inconspicuous effort at improving Sustainability, it is a relatively easy one that generates immediate energy (and other) savings, and, in turn, reduces our carbon footprint.

continued from page 3SEEING THE (LED) LIGHT

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Executive Editor: Mark MannixEditor/Writer: Joe Antonacci

Managing Editor/Writer: Nancy Huie

Creative Director: Michael StetsonSenior Graphic Designer: Barbara SarcichPhoto Contributors: Patrick Cashin

Meredith Conti Kyle McCarthy

Published for the employees of MTA Metro‑North Railroad by Corporate & Public Affairs345 Madison AvenueNew York, NY 10017

On the Road to Vision 2013Here’s how the railroad stands in some of our key goals for 2013 as of September 30, 2011:

Sept 2011 YTD 2011 GoalAchieve Zero Injuries:FRA Reportable Injuries 19 147 122Lost Time Injuries 11 87 63Achieve 98% On-Time Performance:On-Time Performance (E of H) 97.4% 96.7% 97.8%Mean Distance Between Failure 138,075 98,143 125,000Achieve 98% Customer Satisfaction:Consist Compliance (E of H) 99.3% 98.8% 98.6%Customer Complaint Index (per million riders) 136.9 170.0 TBDTransport 100 Million Customers:Ridership (E of H) 6.86 mil 59.37 mil 84.13 milAchieve 9% Reduction in Cost Per Passenger (from $11 to $10):Fare Operating Ratio 60.30% 60.30% 59.0%Cost Per Passenger $11.75 $11.84 $11.00Achieve $75 Million Increase in Non-Passenger Revenue:Incremental Non-Fare Revenues $483,444 $1.87 mil $7.23 mil

For more information, visit our intranet at www.mnr.org or our extranet at www.yourmnr.org.

MOVIN’ ONHere are more of your co-workers that have recently retired. Best wishes to all!

Bob Coughlin Shop Superintendent, M of E 1/31/71-1/31/11; Michael J. Howard Conductor, Opers. Svcs. 8/28/89-8/1/10; Michael F. Lally Locomotive Engineer, Opers. Svcs. 7/14/69-2/1/11; Patricia A. O’Leary Conductor, Opers. Svcs. 11/18/74-4/1/11; Kevin A. O’Shea Conductor, Opers. Svcs. 6/13/74-5/9/11; Joseph C. Camiglio B&B Mechanic, T&S 10/12/72-5/21/11; Douglas H. Perl Rail Traffic Controller, Opers. Svcs. 10/12/70-6/1/11; Steven C. Toth General Supervisor, Power 4/1/74-6/1/11; Richard E. Kane Foreman, M of E 11/20/74-6/1/11; Steven E. Greene Asst Supervisor, C&S 6/11/75-6/1/11; John R. Moore Asst Supervisor, C&S 10/27/75-6/1/11; Michael Gagliardi Jr., Shop Superintendent, M of E 2/3/76-6/1/11; Jonathan E. Grace, Supervisor, C&S 9/7/76-6/1/11; James Ryan Electrician, M of E 9/16/78-6/1/11; Charles W. Hanlon Locomotive Engineer, Opers. Svcs. 7/14/80-6/1/11; Leslie G. Isaacs Electrical Foreman, Power 2/22/84-6/1/11; Christopher B. Peck Machinist, M of E 7/29/74-6/1/11; John S. Deangelo Vehicle Operator, T&S 9/22/78-6/1/11; Brenda M. Garcia Data & Stock, Controller 4/8/74-6/1/11; Angelberto F. Teague Communications Installer/Maint., WOH M of W 2/27/06-6/4/11; Robert P. Vitelli Locomotive Engineer, Opers. Svcs. 7/31/78-6/4/11; Felix Diaz Machinist, M of E 9/5/75-6/7/11; Richard J. Waechter Machinist, M of E 8/23/72-6/15/11; Robert C. Colangelo Catenary Lineman/Driver, Power 3/23/81-6/29/11; Kent W. Patterson Manager, Opers. Plan. & Anal. 3/5/81-7/1/11; William N. Tooley Substation Electrician, Power 12/29/83-7/1/11; Tova Levi Systems Analyst, IT 5/16/05-7/1/11; Thomas J. Murphy Supervisor, T&S (WHO) 6/11/80-7/1/11.

MOVIN’ UPCongratulations to these employees who were recently promoted or transferred:

Rhonda C. Allen to Director, Opers. Admin. on 6/29/11; Ryan O. Ambrose to Foreman-Coach Cleaners on 6/13/11; Angelo Augello to Assistant Director, Track & Structure on 4/7/11; Robert J. Card to Supervisor-Track, WoH M of W on 5/25/11; Kristin A. Gariepy to Manager. Procurement & Material Mgt. on 5/5/11; Luis V. Gracia to Machinist, M of W on 6/22/11; Kimberly C. Jenkins to Ass’t Manager, Customer

Service on 6/30/11; Leon Kagan to Deputy Director, Track & Structure on 6/21/11; Rajendra V. Kasbawala to Senior Engineer, Capital Program on 6/22/11; Joseph K. Murphy to Ass’t. Manager, Customer Service on 6/30/11; Juan C. Rios to Electrical Fore man, Power on 6/8/11; Robert W. Schiffer to General Foreman, M of E on 6/1/11; Silvia A. Tepale to Manager, Customer Service on 6/16/11; Christopher M. Valente to Yardmaster, Opers. Svcs. on 6/1/11; Juan C. Vizcaino to Mech Foreman, M of W on 4/19/11.