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New York Looks to Board High Speed Rail


high speed train
Will fast trains such as Spain's Velaro, be coming to New York?

Imagine making the trip from New York City to Albany by train in under an hour. For politicians, lobbyists, reporters and business people, it would be a godsend. Currently the trip takes two-and-a-half hours.

And there are grander reasons to hope cities across the state will soon be connected by high speed rail according to Sen. Malcolm Smith. First, he said, it will create jobs, some 200,000 of them by Smith's estimate, "from construction to finance and other things." Second he said, it will improve the environment. And lastly, he said, "This will bring the state together. It will make the concept that we have been talking about of one New York a reality. This will be one New York, for real."

To jump start this process Smith plans to introduce legislation as early as Friday to create a committee under the state Department of Transportation to recommend ways to fund high speed rail in New York. The committee would also determine the proper kind of entity to oversee high speed rail and possibly issue bonds to fund it.

Gov. David Paterson has his own bill that would accomplish the same thing.

Picking Up Speed

Smith's idea is not entirely new. Creating a high speed rail system across New York has been on the agenda for decades without getting anywhere. What’s put the project back on the agenda in Albany is the Obama administration’s offer of an incentive to kick start the development of speedier train service throughout the country. Earlier this year, the administration offered $8 billion in grants to states that want to update their rail systems.

When the grants were handed out, however, New York wound up getting only $151 million of the $4 billion it had applied for. California, a state with a well-crafted high speed rail plan, received over $2 billion; Florida and Illinois will receive around $1 billion, Wisconsin $822 million, Washington $590 million.

Although New York lacks the sort of comprehensive plan California has developed, officials here say New York is taking incremental steps toward initiating its plan. Legislators including Smith and U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter say they expect the state to apply for more federal money. They will have a chance to do that, as $2.5 billion in federal rail funding will be up for grabs this summer during another round of funding. Applications are due this summer.

Faster and Costlier

If $151 million doesn’t sound that paltry, a lot more is needed to move Smith’s vision toward reality: $90 million of the funds New York has been awarded will go just to build a second track from Rensselaer to Schenectady. The state is expected to spend $58 million to build an 11-mile high speed test strip in upstate New York.

Why was New York shorted during the first round of federal funding? Many rail experts say New York did not present a plan that met the terms of the available grants, didn't have a single agency taking charge of the project and lacked an agreement with CSX, the company that owns the rails along which the state would like to build its high speed system.

"There were a couple of conflicting factors," said Yoav Hagler, an associate planner with the Regional Plan Association. "They didn't have an environmental impact statement and the timelines didn't work."

A few weeks ago, New York and CSX came a notch closer to removing one of those impediments, as they agreed to allow the state to do an environmental impact study on running another line along the CSX routes. CSX has said in the past that adding a passenger line would be unsafe.

High speed rail would initially run somewhere around 110 mph. Eventually as the system improved, the speeds would increase. The goal would be to create a high speed corridor running from Buffalo to New York City. The fast trains would eventually run through the northeast corridor, making train travel between major northeastern cities much faster, cutting the trips from New York to Boston and Washington by hours.

How to Get Federal Funds

On Monday, over 200 people gathered in Albany for a high speed rail summit to discuss ways to fund the project and how it will help business in the state.

After the summit, Smith said mimicking California could help get the state more federal funding. That state has a complete plan as well as a separate entity that controls its high speed rail project. "I would like to follow the California model very closely," said Smith, adding, "At the summit we were talking to representatives from the Obama administration about what we need, if we are on track. There was no 'yes' or 'no,' but if we are doing the right things ... we do need a separate entity to take on this massive endeavor."

Bruce Becker of the Empire State Passenger Association agrees. "We support an independent board to oversee high speed rail. Nothing against the Department of Transportation, but they have other interests, and thruways are their main concern," he said.

Dennis Mullen, chairman of the Empire State Development Corp., said he thought a single entity overseeing the project could only help a massive undertaking such as creating a high speed rail system in New York.

Other funding ideas are also on the table. Smith said that a delegate from China who was visiting the Capitol this week told him that his country is interested in funding New York's high speed rail projects. He also thinks the possible authority which could be created by his bill could issue bonds to fund the trains.

Certainly, the project would require large amounts of additional funding. As of now, Paterson's budget contains only about $50 million in funding for all rail projects –- not just high speed -- to be stretched over the next two years.

The Economic Effects

At Monday’s summit, Mullen talked about how the Empire State Development Corp. could help businesses tap into the excitement high speed rail will generate. He noted that a number of employers around the state manufacture rail equipment. One company with a New York presence, Bombardier, has shrunk from 1,000 to 200 employees over the last decade. Mullen said he thinks that workforce could grow again if New York and the rest of the country get on the high speed bandwagon.

"I'm very optimistic," said Hagler about the prospects of developing high speed rail in New York and the Northeast Corridor. "We are certainly in a better place than we were two years ago. States are working together now."

If New York and surrounding states can establish a high speed corridor Hagler thinks the New York economy would benefit, as would the crowded transit system. "The New York region is the bottleneck in the system. Any plan that improves the rail system or installs high speed rail is going to benefit New York. Being able to reach Washington in an hour and a half is certainly going to benefit New York's downtown business district," he said.

A recent study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors backs Hagler up. The report states that high speed rail throughout the country could create 150,000 new jobs and $19 billion in new businesses by 2035. The report details how upstate regions could be sucked into New York's economic sphere thanks to fast travel times, with commerce spreading at faster rates.

The Long Road Ahead

While the northeast holds the greatest potential for high speed rail in the U.S., Oliver Hauck, CEO of Siemans AG, told the New York Times that the Northeast Corridor is the high speed route furthest from actually being built.

Politicians repeat their mantra that the progress toward high speed rail in New York is incremental. Existing rail lines need to be improved, studies need to be conducted, and the project needs funding. "Coming from the private sector into the public sector, I think we do a bad job of managing expectations," said Mullen. But, he added, "It's good that we have to follow the processes required by constituents. We have these processes for a reason."

Becker agrees, "We support incremental steps. Perhaps in scope we have to start small, but we can't wait for the first groundbreaking in the projects to signal to New Yorkers that the process has begun after decades of study and inaction."

Others, though, are concerned that New York is more concerned with getting federal money to maintain its existing rail structure than actually planning for high speed rail.

"We should be deliberate," said Hagler. "But I disagree with some folks who want there to be incremental steps but say we can't move ahead with high speed rail plans simultaneously. If we want to meet the demands of 2040 and 2050 we need to start planning now."

Council Cracks Down on Taxi Overcharges


Taxi
Photo (cc) 2008 Bert Boerma

The City Council wants to turn the light on taxis.

Weighing in on the cab overcharging scandal first revealed three months ago, the City Council approved several bills on Wednesday to bring more transparency to the Taxi and Limousine Commission by requiring the commission report the number of complaints it receives every month and mandating taxis store rate data.

Some taxi advocates, however, are skeptical of the legislation, saying it could unfairly portray cabbies as scammers.

In addition to the taxi legislation, the council approved a bill to require the Department of Parks and Recreation permanently mark concession areas in public parks to prevent vendors from taking up public space.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to sign all of the legislation, according to a mayoral spokesperson.

Cab Reporting of Complaints

In March, the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission reported thousands of drivers had routinely overcharged taxi passengers for fares by using out-of-town rates for some rides that were completely within the five boroughs.

Just weeks after the revelation, however, the commission revealed the taxi scam was not as prevalent as initially thought. In May, the commission announced that more than 600 drivers had routinely overcharged riders -- and many of them could now lose their license.

While the scope of the taxi scam has shrunk, council members said they want to make sure the meter isn’t switched on riders ever again.

"If there was just one driver out there overcharging New Yorkers and tourists in taxis that would be a big problem," said Council Speaker Christine Quinn. "It was clearly much more than one. It was a level that was unacceptable."

In response, the council, in a vote of 50 to 0, approved legislation ( Intro 235-A) that requires every cab have equipment to store fare and rate data, which could be submitted to the Taxi and Limousine Commission upon request. While cabs already have equipment that collects trip data, they do not always collect information regarding certain trip rates.

Another bill, unanimously approved by the council, ( Intro 233) would require the commission submit an annual report to the council detailing all taxi complaints, including those on overcharging, and any subsequent violations. This information will also have to be posted on the commission's Web site every month.

Bhairavi Desai of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance fears the new rush of taxi data could be taken out of context. She said the new numbers should show the number of complaints versus the number of taxi rides on a daily basis.

"We have no problem with the transparency," said Desai. "Our concern is the context in which the numbers will be interpreted."

The council also revised its passenger bill of rights ( Intro 232) for taxis to include a provision notifying passengers of their right to E-ZPass in the cab. During the taxi scandal, it was also uncovered some cabbies used long toll lines instead of the quick E-ZPass to up their total fare.

The measure was approved by a vote of 49 to zero with one abstention from Councilmember Gale Brewer.

The commissioner of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, David Yassky, said yesterday he supported the bills.

Park Concessions

In response to complaints about the privatization of parks, the council approved legislation requiring the Department of Parks and Recreation to identify concession areas by marking them in parks and on park maps.

The bill ( Intro 21-A) was approved by a vote of 50 to 0.

Seasonal concessions, those operating less than 45 days, those occupying less than 200 feet, concessioners on greater than two acres and those operating in three or more boroughs will be exempt from the requirement.

Violators will face fines of between $200 and $1,000.

By clearly identifying concession areas, supporters said the city and public can make sure vendors do not overflow into the open spaces of public parks.

Bus Cameras

The council also approved legislation that would give Albany the go-ahead to approve the installation of up to 50 miles of bus lane camerasin New York City. The bill must be approved at the council before the State Legislature can give the final OK. Quinn said it has not been determined whether the cameras, which will allow the city to better use bus rapid transit, will be installed on actual buses, on the street or both.

Additional reporting by Alana Horowitz.

Cabbies Urge State to Make Their Drives Safer


taxi
Photo (cc) 2010 roblisameehan

Mohammad Chowdhury bears the scars of his profession. A long scar stretches across his throat, a memento of a five-inch knife wound he received during a March 28 attack. It took 18 stitches to put him back together. Chowdhury is not a police officer, a solider or emergency responder. He drives a cab.

At 4:30 a.m. as Chowdhury, off duty, headed home at the end of his shift, two women asked him to drive them to the Bronx. One of the women started to urinate in the cab. Chowdhury pulled over and demanded that she use a restroom. The woman opened the door and urinated on the sidewalk, and Chowdhury repeated his request that she use a nearby bathroom. That is when the woman grabbed him by the head and started assaulting him, eventually using a utility knife to slash his throat. Chowdhury was rescued by emergency medical workers who saw the attack.

The general public might not think driving a cab is particularly dangerous, but cabbies say that their profession is one of the most hazardous in the country. The New York City Police Department estimates that around 100 cabbies have been robbed this year but the New York City Taxi Workers Alliancesays that a large number of attacks go unreported by cabbies.

A 2002 report by the U.S. Department of Labor found that drivers who work 12-hour shifts are 60 percent more likely to be killed on the job than most workers.

In an effort to help change that, State Sen. Eric Adams and Assemblyman Rory Lancman have proposed the Taxi Driver Protection Act, which would make it a class D felony in New York State to assault a cab driver, even if only minor injuries are incurred, and would mandate that signs be placed in every cab warning that "Assaulting a Taxi Driver is a Felony Punishable by Up to Seven Years in Prison."

The new law might not punish Chowdhury's attackers anymore than they normally would be because of the brutal nature of their assault but there is hope that having a stiffer law on the books and the warning sign would deter future attacks. Taxi driving is routinely ranked in the 15 most dangerous jobs in America. It was estimated in 2008 that 19.3 cabbies died for every 100,000 drivers. They carry cash, they travel all over the city, and their backs are constantly to the people they are serving.

While attracting support from drivers and some officials, the measure is by no means assured of passage. The bill enjoys considerable support in the Assembly, where it has multiple cosponsors, but so far the Senate bill has no cosponsors.

The head of the city Taxi and Limousine Commission, David Yassky endorses the legislation. "Taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers provide an important public service to our city, and we need to maximize their safety. The Taxi Driver Protection Act will send a strong and clear message that violence of any kind against drivers will not and cannot be tolerated," said Yassky.

States including California and Illinois have stiff felony penalties for assaulting drivers, and other states employ warning signs.

Unequal Protection?

Those expressing reservations about the bill question whether the state should distinguish between the job of the victim in setting penalties.

"There is always a concern about legislating for each individual profession in the state. We don't want a bill for each one," said Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, who said he is not sure whether he will support the bill. "Having said that, they have a bill for transit workers, and taxi workers are certainly in more danger than most because of the situation they are in -- with their backs to riders. It is dangerous, and in general we have to do something about it."

But that something is not necessarily voting for the Taxi Worker Protection Act. Kolb said he needs to reconcile his concerns about the legislation before deciding how he will vote. Senate Republicans have similar concerns and said they would need more time to consider the legislation.

In 2008, as Kolb mentioned, the legislature passed a law that makes it a class D felony to assault transit workers, including bus drivers, station agents and traffic enforcement agents.

Lancman said that law makes Kolb's concerns moot. "The debate has been resolved. The only question that remains is if taxi workers fit into the class of workers who are in more danger than most others. And I think it is pretty clear they are. This is really a no-brainer," Lancman said

"There are other people on the other side of the aisle that say we shouldn’t give stricter penalties for attacking people of one profession," said Adams, "but we already have the precedent so there is no argument.”

Adams addressed a rally of taxi drivers on Tuesday to cheers and loud chants. Assembly members Lancman, Michelle Schimel, Michael DenDekker and Michael Benjamin also spoke in support of the legislation.

"You can't ever predict what is going to happen in Albany, but we are pushing this as hard as we can," said Adams.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's office would only comment to say that the bill is in the "committee process." A spokesman for the Senate Democrats said he was not familiar with the bill

War Stories

Mohammed Chowdhurry was by no means the only cabbie at Tuesday’s rally with scars and stories to tell.

Nearly 100 other cab drivers took the day off from work to drive to Albany to lobby on their own behalf. They circled the Capitol in a motorcade, honking their horns. And then they took to the capital to tell their stories.

Mamnun Ul Haq told the crowd that, in 2005 he drove himself to get help after a passenger stabbed him in the back with a 10-inch hunting knife. The knife grazed his lungs and came near to his spine. He figured he would die on the operating table. He survived but spent years working his job afraid that he would be attacked again. He has recently taken up a different trade.

In 2007 Gurmail Singh was beaten in the head with a metal rod while exiting his cab at the end of the shift. On April 29, 2010, J. Singh was hit in the head with a metal rod and told to "go back to your country." Many other cabbies said they too were attacked because of their religion or ethnicity.

The stories go on and on.

Legislators and drivers admit that the legislation will not stop all violence against taxi drivers, but they hope it will go a long way to deterring at least some of it.

"We are impatient," said Lancman. "This is not some kind of esoteric debate. This is going to change people's lives. We feel a real sense of urgency to get this passed because we are sure it will save someone's life."



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