MTA unveils new signaling tech
pilot on the 7 and L subway lines
BY MAX PARROTT
Over the past nine months,
the MTA New York City Transit
has been partnering with two
electrical engineering companies
to test a new form of signaling
technology on the 7 and L
subway lines.
On Jan. 23, the agency took
over a train at the Woodside 7
Train Station to demonstrate
the results of the pilot for Ultra
Wideband Radio (UWB), a
complement to the modern signaling
installed on the 7 line as
part of the MTA’s Fast Forward
plan in November 2018.
The updated signaling
system on the 7 and L lines is
called Communications Based
Train Control (CBTC), and it
allows more precise control
of the trains, so they can run
more closely together. The demo
pitched Ultra-Wideband Radar,
a technology that would enhance
the signaling upgrade to
provide faster updates and more
precise data on train locations
that would, in theory, improve
train service.
While transit experts have
suggested that using UWB as a
replacement for CBTC would be
risky because it hasn’t yet been
proven on the scale of a citywide
subway system, the MTA
demonstration focused on how
it might be used as a complement
for lines that already have
CBTC technology.
During the demo, executives
from Thales and Piper Networks,
the two engineering companies
who installed the system,
projected laser-imaging from the
UWB sensors onto a TV screen
as the train traveled along the 7
track. They wanted to show just
how unobtrusive and simple the
sensors are, and how the technology
can be used to guide the
trains with precision.
Robert Hanczor, CEO of
Piper Networks — one of the
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.34 COM | FEB. 7-FEB. 13, 2020
companies that participated in
the pilot — pointed out that the
UWB consists of sensors that
are easily installed on the front
of a train, as opposed to CBTC,
which extends along the entire
body of a train. He said the tech
reduces the amount of time
they have to be on the tracks for
installation.
“What this means for the
riders is that we can install the
equipment much faster, it saves
money for the organization, and
it’s much easier to maintain”
Hanczor said.
The presentation also
showed how the installation
of UWB could take over in the
case of signal outages. In the
current system, if a critical
sensor fails, the train brakes
to a halt and must be taken out
of service. With UWB, a sensor
failure would trigger a seamless
switchover so operation could
continue.
As the train pulled back into
Woodside station after its test
run, Thales executive Walter Kinio
pointed to CGI imaging of the
track markers that told the conductor
precisely where to stop.
“Just to let you know, we
were four inches off,” Kinio said
as the train came to a halt.
Though the demo went without
a hitch, UWB would first
have to become safety certified
before the MTA could start installing
on it on any subways.
Then the agency would have to
make a judgement about how
the UWB would connect with
the large increase of CBTC technology
that is slated for installation
over the next five years.
The MTA does not have a concrete
time frame for how long
these steps would take.
Thales executive Walter Kinio discusses Ultra-Wideband technology.
BUS INES S PROFI LE
George Makkos, CEO, Terrace On The Park
George Makkos was
born in Athens, Greece in
1961, and immigrated to the
United States with his family
in 1974. His father supported
the family with a food vending
business that started
with a single pretzel cart on
34th Street, while Mr. Makkos
attended City College of
the City University of New
York, and considered a career
in engineering.
At the request of his father,
however, he joined the
family firm, helping to build
it into a major food concessionaire
in Manhattan’s
parks, before leading its further
expansion into a diverse
range of operations. Initially,
these were focused on food
manufacturing to supply the
family’s carts with their own
pretzels and hot dogs, then
over the next decade, grew
to include food distribution,
hospitality and an extensive
network of real estate holdings.
In 1995, the Makkos family
made the winning bid to
operate concessions at the
Wollman and Lasker skating
rinks in Manhattan – artfully
out-dealing the previous
licensee, a businessman
named Donald J. Trump. The
success of these locations led
to further contracts with the
City of New York, including
the Carousel in Central Park,
Battery Gardens restaurant
in Battery Park – and in 1997,
as one of two partners in
the Crystal Ball Group, the
iconic Terrace On The Park
in Flushing Meadows Park.
Originally built as a heliport
for the 1964 New York
World’s Fair, Terrace On The
Park remains a well-loved
landmark in the New York
City skyline, but the entire
structure was badly in need
of updating by the late ‘90s.
Under Makkos’ direction,
Terrace was restored to its
Space Age luster; in the two
decades since, further improvements
– including a
just-completed $9 million
capital project – have established
Terrace On The Park
as one of the most successful
catering and event facilities
in New York City.
It is also one of the largest,
offering more than nine
ballrooms and event spaces
on four different levels, along
with its own chapel, extensive
gardens and, in place of
the original helipad, a penthouse
event space with landscaped
rooftop and sweeping
360 degree views of Queens
and the Manhattan skyline.
The size of the operation can
seem daunting: in any given
week, Terrace On The Park
welcomes as many as 2,500
guests through its doors, produces
14 or more memorable
events, and employs a staff
of 150 on average, including
everything from banquet
managers, chefs, waiters and
runners to operation managers,
maintenance engineers
and gardeners.
Yet, as Makkos notes,
the sheer scale of the operation
allows for a far more
individualized wedding – or
prom, bar mitzvah, anniversary
celebration or corporate
event – than can be
provided by a smaller venue.
“We’ve designed the entire
facility to provide a completely
one-of-a-kind experience,”
he explains. Most of
the event spaces have private
entrances, and all have
advanced sound and lighting
technology that can be
programmed for customized
color schemes. Reflecting the
diversity of the communities
served by Terrace, the
culinary staff is fluent in
food preparations ranging
from traditional American
and continental cuisine to
regional Indian, East Asian
and Latin American specialties.
Small wonder that when
The New York Times ran a
profile on Terrace in 2015,
the story’s headline read:
“Towers With Babel’s Diversity,
but a Much Happier History.”
To Makkos, one key to
his organization’s growth is
his dedication to finding the
most qualified and talented
individuals to manage his
businesses, and then trusting
and rewarding them; it’s
worth noting the long tenure
of many members of the Terrace
On The Park Team. But
asked for his secret to success,
George Makkos says
it’s simple, if not easy: “It’s
about hard work, and perseverance,
and getting up each
day wanting to make things
just that much better.”