|
|
| Re: Yankees Parade = Staten Island Transit Disaster (855762) | |||
 |
|||
| Home > SubChat | |||
|
[ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ] |
|
||
|
Re: Yankees Parade = Staten Island Transit Disaster |
|
|
Posted by Michael549 on Wed Nov 11 12:15:57 2009, in response to Re: Yankees Parade = Staten Island Transit Disaster, posted by Michael549 on Mon Nov 9 14:55:57 2009. Ferryboat glitches seen as possible threat to passenger safetyBy Maura Yates November 11, 2009, 11:51AM Staten Island Advance ferry.jpgJan Somma-Hammel/Staten Island Advance Passengers' safety could be put at risk by malfunctioning equipment on Staten Island ferryboats, according to a ferry insider. While approaching its slip on a recent run -- the most dangerous time to have something go wrong -- the Staten Island ferryboat Guy V. Molinari, already down one of its four propulsion drives, lost a second one. The drive was reset and power was restored without incident. Though unnoticeable to ferry riders, there have been several other recent failures since Advance reports on the persistent problems with the three newest boats prompted a City Council hearing on the issue. A ferry insider says it's no stretch to say that the unreliable parts could compromise passenger safety. On another recent day, the ferryboat Spirit of America lost power to a "phase cell," which caused the boat to lose one of its four drives, though it remained completely operable. In a separate incident, the Spirit's "drive diode" failed while the boat was out of service, though it also was operable. "At no time were vessels in any danger," said Seth Solomonow, a spokesman for the city's Department of Transportation, which runs the ferry. The Molinari-class boats were deliberately built with redundant systems, he said, which allow them to continue operating safely even if certain components fail. Ferries can safely carry passengers when one of their four drives are down, as permitted by U.S. Coast Guard regulations, Solomonow said. But though the backups are in place to keep the boat operating, a total failure of all four drives, similar to losing the brakes in a car, was blamed for the July "hard landing" that slammed the John J. Marchi into its slip at St. George and sent 15 people to the hospital. Since their delivery in 2005, the new boats have had their share of "teething problems" but have largely worked out their kinks, Capt. James DeSimone, the ferry's chief officer, testified during the Council hearing in September. The city negotiated extended warranties for components in the boats, DeSimone testified, but now that the warranties are up, the DOT will proceed against the manufacturer if any latent defects are found after the investigation of the Marchi's hard landing. The three new boats now boast a reliability rating well in excess of 90 percent, Solomonow said, and the issues they have experienced are not unlike similar incidents on other classes of ferries that occur from time to time. With a price tag of $40 million each, the Molinari-class boats were built to exact specifications, with all components approved by the Coast Guard. In addition, the design and construction of the new ferries was approved by the American Bureau of Shipping, which is known for its high standards. Over the past fiscal year, according to the DOT, the Molinari was available for passenger service 95 percent of the time, with the Marchi available 93 percent of the time and Spirit of America 99 percent of the time. |
|
(There are no responses to this message.)
|
|