6 times • SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Engineer in Maspeth train-truck crash last year fled scene & hasn’t been seen since: report BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport He vanished without a trace. The engineer involved in the fiery accident last year when a New York & Atlantic (NYA) Railway locomotive collided with a tractor-trailer in Maspeth went missing right after the accident and was then fired by the railroad company, the results from the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) safety review of the railroad company found. “FRA was not able to interview the engineer involved in the accident as he went missing immediately after the accident,” the review stated. “In the aftermath of the accident, the locomotive engineer left the scene and did not return to the railway. NYA subsequently terminated his employment.” The train conductor, however, was interviewed after the accident and raised safety concerns, questioning if he had been properly trained. The FRA’s investigation revealed that both NYA crew members involved in the accident were not carrying NYA-issued certification cards required by the Code of Federal Regulations. NYA did allow the engineer to carry a certification card issued by a different railroad, but that is not a permissible substitute, the review said. It is also required that a railroad issue a conductor’s certificate before permitting a person to serve as a conductor; however, NYA considered the conductor certified, even though it did not issue the conductor the certificate. “The FRA’s findings are very disturbing. NYA cut corners which put lives at risk,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng, who has previously put pressure on the FRA to release the findings of the safety review. “The faulty recordkeeping, inadequate training, unclear certification and need for grade crossing safety is indicative of other troubling practices at NYA, and we’re lucky that more accidents have not occurred with trains that the company operates.” During the course of the investigation, NYA was unable to produce all of the requested documents by the FRA, due to a poor record-keeping system at the railroad company. “Because NYA’s record-keeping and documentation was so poor, FRA investigators could not determine whether the train crew was qualified to operate the train or if all of NYA’s engineers and conductors (including contractors) were properly certified,” the review stated. The FRA has recommended that NYA develop a better record-keeping system, issue the proper certifications and documentation for its train crews, and work to make grade crossing improvements, among others. FRA has also proposed civil penalties against NYA for five alleged violations. “NYA lied to LIRR Long Island Rail Road and the public. NYA’s 2014 renewal request told LIRR they were running safely. NYA hid its use of unqualified crews to operate freight trains,” said Mary Parisen, co-chair of Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions (CURES), an organization working to improve quality-of-life issues in Queens related to local freight rail traffic. “After the accident, NYA stonewalled FRA,” Parisen continued. “Congresswoman Meng had to keep asking for the truth. It has been 14 months since the crash. The people managing NYA today are the same now as then. No one was fired, except the low-level employee who skipped. NYA is endangering thousands of LIRR commuters and residents of NYC, and its own workers. It’s time for a new operating plan from MTA.” The FRA has committed to continue to meet regularly with NYA to help them implement the recommendations and follow up to ensure the railroad company’s compliance with federal regulations. “At the New York & Atlantic Railway, our top priority is safety. We fully cooperated with the FRA throughout this process, and continue to do so,” said Thomas A. Leopold, chief safety and compliance officer with NYA. “While we disagree with some of the conclusions in its report, we have already implemented FRA recommended actions and completed all the necessary crossing repairs The Federal Railroad Administration released the safety review of New York & Atlantic’s practices and procedures. prior to the report’s release. We perform a vital service to the flow of commerce in New York City and Long Island, and hold ourselves accountable to keep our customers, employees and the communities in which we operate safe at all times.” According to Leopold, NYA has already made several safety improvements before the FRA’s report came out, including: • cutting vegetation near the at-grade crossings at 73rd Street, 88th Street and Washington Avenue (43rd Street), in File photo/RIDGEWOOD TIMES September 2015 and ongoing; • paving grade crossing surfaces at Maspeth Avenue crossing in October 2015 and September 2016; • extending crossing light circuit at 73rd Street to improve warning time in October 2015; • installing “Do Not Stop on Track” signs at Debevoise Avenue (49th Street) in March 2016; and • installing stop board signs that require trains to stop at grade crossings on the Lower Montauk Branch in April 2016. City begins building a new plaza in Glendale – but not without issues BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Big changes are underway in Glendale as the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has started working on the new pedestrian plaza at the corner of Myrtle and Cooper avenues. Work for the project, which kicked off on Friday, Sept. 23, includes the installation of new sewer and water mains, street lighting and traffic reconfiguration. That means water service interruptions and parking restrictions for local residents. Typical work hours for this project will be Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., DDC said. Day and weekend work may be necessary, however, and advance notice will be given of any work outside of typical daytime hours. This project has an anticipated completion date of winter 2017. The new plaza design will include seating options near the Zum Stammtisch restaurant and around the plaza, drinking fountains, bike racks, several new trees and beautification infrastructure, and more, all while maintaining the Glendale War Memorial. It also aims to improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic by realigning the streets and reducing traffic speed in conjunction with Vision Zero. If it is necessary for DDC to turn off water service, according to the DDC, nearby residents will receive written notice by 4 p.m. the day before the service interruption. If water service is shut down, it will be restored every day by 6 p.m., DDC announced. If any additional shutdowns are required, a new notice will be sent out daily until the work is completed. According to DDC, during construction, pedestrian access to buildings will be maintained at all times. Street closures may be required intermittently. Warning signs will be posted in advance of any closures, and driveway access may be temporarily interrupted in order to complete construction. Bus stops along Myrtle Avenue will be relocated during the course of construction. Signs and directions will be posted noting any and all changes. Work will be performed on Myrtle/Cooper Plaza between 69th Place and 71st Street, and on adjacent streets including the following: - Myrtle Avenue between 69th Street and 69th Place; - Myrtle Avenue between 69th Place and 70th Street; - Myrtle Avenue between 70th and 71st streets; - Cooper Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and 70th Street; - Cooper Avenue between 69th Place and 70th Street; - Cooper Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and 71st Street; and - 71st Street between Myrtle Avenue and the Dead End. If residents have any questions or concerns regarding this plaza project they can call Michelle Perez, the Construction Community Liaison for the project at 347-869-1369; visit the NYCDDC web site at www.nyc.gov/buildnyc; or call 311 during non-construction hours.
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