Talking Transportation

We may never know what happened to that Malaysia Airlines 777, but there’s plenty more we should know about flying, even domestically.  Here are some little-known truths of aviation as shared by pilots and flight attendants: Lavatory Doors Don’t Really Lock: They can be opened from the outside by just sliding the “occupied” sign to one side.  This isn’t so attendants can … [Read more...] about Eight Little Known Facts About Flying

It was worse than we'd ever known.  Metro-North was almost an accident waiting to happen. That summarizes the Federal Railway Administration's “Operation Deep Dive” report issued last week, following 60 days of probing into every aspect of the railroad's operations.  All of this comes on the heels of collisions and derailments in the past year that have taken the lives of … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The Feds ‘Deep Dive’ Into Metro-North

Now is the winter of our discontent.   I’ve been riding Metro-North for almost 25 years and I’ve never seen the railroad in such bad shape. Trains are consistently late without explanation.  Some cars have no heat.  A couple of trains were stranded for more than two hours when wires were pulled down.  And on one recent evening, the entire railroad ground to a halt because … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The Commuter Action Group

We’ve read a lot about the George Washington Bridge (GWB) in recent weeks.  And the scandal over who ordered closure of approach lanes from Fort Lee, N.J., only underscores how crucial this bridge is to the entire region.  All of which got me thinking about the GWB and its history. Surprisingly, the GWB was not the first bridge design to cross the Hudson River.  As early as … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The George Washington Bridge

After 19 years, I have resigned from the CT Commuter Rail Council.  But I can promise you I am not quitting my advocacy for my fellow commuters or the writing of this column. And I have an even better idea of how commuters can be heard. The old Commuter Council accomplished many things since its founding in 1985, including the ordering of the new M8 cars.  The Council also … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Down, But Not Out: Cameron Resigns — But Doesn’t Quit

No, it’s not your imagination.  Service is getting even worse on Metro-North. And there’s no sign of short-term improvements. This has been a terrible year for Metro-North and its 120,000 daily riders in Connecticut:  the May derailment / collision, the death of a track worker and the September “meltdown” because of a failed Con Ed feeder.  But the repercussions of these … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Slow Orders for Metro-North

First of all, despite what some commuters may recently be thinking, the folks who manage and operate Metro-North are not stupid.  Inconsiderate and uncommunicative sometimes, but not stupid. Metro-North managers and employees are railroad professionals, justifiably proud of the 96+% on-time performance they achieve on one of the busiest commuter line in the US.  They want to … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Metro-North Meltdown

I am nothing if not an optimist.  After toiling as a rail advocate for almost two decades, nothing surprises me or dissuades me.  A few examples… This week Metro-North announced a new timetable, one so hastily launched that they won’t even have paper copies available ‘til after Labor Day.  Why the hurry?  Because this summer has been horrendous for on-time service … but with … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Progress is Painful

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Mianus River Bridge collapse, which killed three people.   That accident on I-95 in Greenwich was attributed to years of neglected inspections and maintenance, the inevitable result of penny-pinching in Hartford. Will the recent Metro-North crash (which injured 76 passengers) also be tied to long-postponed repairs? Last week, … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The July Gas Tax Increase

“Is it safe to ride Metro-North?”   I’ve been asked that question by reporters and commuters alike dozens of times in recent weeks.   My answer in a moment, after some background. Days ago the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its initial report on the cause of the May 17th derailment and subsequent collision of two trains, a report that seemed to fault … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Metro-North in Crisis?

Time for a quick update on the good and not-so good news about high-speed rail around the world: CHINA:          The high-speed train between Beijing and Shanghai just passed the 100 million passenger ridership mark after less than 2 years of operations.  The sleek trains depart every 15 minutes carrying 1,000+ passengers at 200+ mph, covering the 819 mile distance … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: High Speed Rail – Updates