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| The Return Of "Rapid" Transit ? (1499825) | |||
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The Return Of "Rapid" Transit ? |
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Posted by Bill Newkirk on Sat Jan 12 17:56:50 2019 Source: e-mail from a friendOver the past several months, a reutilized 10-car subway train has been patrolling nearly every mile of subway track, carrying NYC Transit’s recently formed Subway, Performance, Evaluation, Education, and Development (SPEED) unit, a team of transit personnel armed with radar guns and other test equipment. No, the radar-packing SPEED Unit isn’t looking for speeders. Just the opposite. They’re looking for slow spots in the subway system—stretches of track where planners can safely squeeze more speed out of the current signals and trains. So far, their work has led to a near doubling of some speed limits on five stretches of the N/R lines in Brooklyn, from 15-mph zones to 20 or 30 mph, with additional increases approved and soon to be rolled out, bringing millions of customers a speedier ride. Years of Accumulated Go-Slows The work of the SPEED Unit is part of a broader effort known as the “Save Safe Seconds” campaign, initiated by Senior Vice President for Subways Sally Librera and NYC Transit President Andy Byford as part of the Fast Forward Plan for modernizing the entire transit system. The goal is to locate those spots within the subway system where many factors have led to speed restrictions well below the safe levels for today’s trains and track geometry. Some of those factors date back to the subway’s earliest operations over 100 years ago. One longtime basic safety measure, for example, is civil speed restrictions, with posted speed limits and signs much like those on a highway. Another is grade time signals or “timer signals” with fail-safe timing devices set to trip the emergency brakes if a train passes at a higher-than-allowed speed. Over the years, the allowable speed limits weren’t always updated to reflect safety advances in car design and track geometry. Meanwhile, spurred in part by two fatal accidents in the 1990s, the number of timer signals would eventually grow to about 2,000 systemwide. Finding the Right Balance There’s little doubt that customers want faster service. But the demand for speed must be weighed against the absolute priority of safety. “Safety is always our top priority,” Byford said in a recent press statement, “and we’re working hard to maximize our subway’s potential within the boundaries of stringent safety standards.” He went on to note that some timer signals have become miscalibrated over time, forcing trains to go slower than they need to. “We’re taking a fresh look, with no compromise to safety, at how to reduce delays and get people to their destinations sooner.” Enter the SPEED Unit. A collaborative effort between transit departments, as well as union officials, the new unit is headed up by Barry Greenblatt, vice president and chief officer of service delivery, and Philip Dominguez, train service supervisor, both of NYC Transit. Since late August, the SPEED Unit has already reviewed 665 miles of track, tested 2,000 timer signals, and fixed over 250 slow signals. In addition to the five operating increases on the N/R lines, 29 more speed increases have been approved by a safety committee and are currently being rolled out. By springtime, agency planners estimate, nearly 100 locations across all boroughs will see safe upgrades in the allowed train speeds, resulting in better performance all around. Contributing to the Speed Unit and the Save Safe Seconds campaign is an ongoing effort to elicit fresh ideas for improving the subway system from frontline employees, who frequently mentioned timer signals. While many factors can lead to slower or delayed subway service, this is one system improvement that can be done safely and can be done now. The SPEED Unit is doing just that. |
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