INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

Suburban Scrawl Our Mott Haven Structures gangs work to keep our community areas graffiti free. See details page 2-3.

Farewell Former President Howard Permut says “good-bye.” Read message on pages page 4-5.

We’re On a High Metro-North charted an 86.8 million East-of-Hudson ridership count last year, our highest ever! See stats on page 6.

Here’s a Safe Tip For You Your coworkers share their top safety tips for the workplace. Read details on page 6-7.

A Message From President Joseph J. Giulietti

Dear Colleague,

Today is my first day as president of Metro-North, but it is not my first day on this railroad.

My 43-year career started here, first with Penn Central, then with Conrail and ultimately with Metro-North. In those years, I gained experience in a number of different areas in railroad operations. These experiences served me well when I began my 15-year career with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, first as its Deputy Executive Director and then as its Executive Director. I am honored to return to lead the railroad where I was given the opportunity to first develop my skills in railroading and in management.

I am returning at a challenging time. Since last spring, Metro-North’s service has not met our customers’ expectations. A series of incidents have damaged confidence in our safety record as well as the ability of our leadership to manage the railroad effectively.

I am well aware that these incidents have greatly affected not only public opinion, but employee morale and pride as well. Please remem-ber that the challenges we currently face represent opportunities for us to redefine ourselves, and refocus on the way we do business. That will mean concentrating on the basics of good railroading which has, as its cornerstone, operating a dependable service in the safest manner possible.

I cannot state it strongly enough — our most important task is to rededicate ourselves to operating a safe railroad. Achieving this goal is essential. It will establish the firm foundation that will allow us to meet the expectations of our customers, rebuild the railroad’s reputation and improve employee morale. Restoring Safety as Priority One will not be easy and it will not happen overnight. It will require all employees at every level to pull together as a team. And it will require changes in the way we do business. I am confident that the men and women of this railroad will face this challenge head on and I look forward to working with all of you to do just that.

Together, we start today.

Sincerely,

Joseph J. Giulietti

March 2014The News Publication for MTA Metro-North Railroad Employees

Read us at home at www.yourmnr.org

Read this message from Metro-North’s new President, Joseph J. Giulietti, which he issued on February 10th.

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What the other members of our MTA family are up to.

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Rail News

Dyckman St. done The two-year rehabilitation of NYCT’s Dyckman St. station (on its 1 subway line) was marked on Feb. 6 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This $31 million rehabilitation project was completed in November. The station has a new elevator, new concrete platforms, a refurbished Fort George Tunnel Portal, new platform wind-screens, new canopies, and a refur-bished control area with restored historic finishes. Other upgrades that will also improve access for the disabled include a ramp at the station entrance, realignment of the station platforms, modification of the staircases, and the installation of new railings and door handles. More details at http://tinyurl.com/mnrujpq

Artsy adornments Three new art cards are adorning subway cars; the cards are created by

artists commissioned through Arts for Transit and Urban Design. Arts for Transit and Urban Design’s Deputy Director, Amy Hausmann, who oversees the project, said, “This year, the artists filled their work with playful detail to reward the inquisitive viewer – one includes a drawing packed full of things you might find on the subway, another reveals a charming collage of robots and creatures, and the third new card is a great graphic illustration of some ordinary objects enlarged to extraordi-nary proportions.” More info at http://tinyurl.com/lz2gprv

FTA aid awarded Governor Andrew M. Cuomo last month announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded $886.3 million to the MTA to repair and rebuild infrastructure that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy and protect and fortify it against future storms. The grant builds on an initial allotment of $193.9 million announced

Under Cover…

We’re not talking about an FBI sting operation, but about our

two Mott Haven Track & Structures gangs (that’s what we call our special

operatives!) whose valiant “cover-up” efforts help keep community areas along our right-of-way looking good.

These 10 gang members, led by Lamont Dobson, are charged with enforcing a graffiti-free zone next to our track on our Hudson and Harlem Lines. Their work area constitutes about 16 miles, but sometimes it feels as if it is 160 miles!

To minimize any impact on our service, the gangs dedicate three nights per week to graffiti removal; from 12 midnight to 5 AM, they scour (literally) spots along our track, painting over graffiti as they go along. (Most graffiti is painted over with few exceptions, such as a natural stone surface where they will work to erase it.) The balance of the gangs’ time is spent making repairs to Metro-North’s bridges and right-of-way Structures. “It’s a battle for these gangs every

day,” Assistant Director–Structures Alan Morton said. “Once they cover up an area of graffiti, it can literally be defaced within a day or two. However to their credit, the gang will return again and again in a test of wills—graffiti on, graffiti off! Now that is excellent community customer service—I applaud their perseverance.”The repeat “performances” of

graffiti scrawlers are so frequent that Deputy Director-Structures Leon Kagan says the gangs use about 8,000 gallons of paint this

year to keep structures clean!One of the most recent efforts was the “paint over” at Botanical Garden, which from mid-July to early December 2013 had been done three times!

“The wall is about 350 feet by 15 feet and I have to say our gang did an excellent and efficient job—community feedback was all ‘thumbs up’…each and every time they cleaned it,” Morton noted.

According to Kagan, this project was associated with our Bronx Right-of-Way Improvement Project.

“We took advantage of the track outages that occurred for the right-of-way work and our guys literally followed the tie gang’s progress and accomplished this task in a very short time,” Kagan ex-plained. “It was a great way to pair up ongoing work without causing any additional service impact.”Removal of the graffiti on a

natural stone bridge at Dover Plains last summer proved to be a chal-lenging case. “That wall defeated our stocked removers, but we finally found a concrete floor cleaner by Sherwin Williams which stripped the graffiti,” Morton noted, adding that the structure was still clean as of late-January!“This isn’t a glamorous job and

can prove frustrating…these guys give more than 100% every time they attack a defaced surface and while customers may not notice ordinarily, unarguably our sur-rounding communities are very appreciative,” Morton said.

continued on page 8

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year to keep structures clean!One of the most recent efforts was the “paint over” at Botanical Garden, which from mid-July to early December 2013 had been done three times!

“The wall is about 350 feet by 15 feet and I have to say our gang did an excellent and efficient job—community feedback was all ‘thumbs up’…each and every time they cleaned it,” Morton noted.

According to Kagan, this project was associated with our Bronx Right-of-Way Improvement Project.

“We took advantage of the track outages that occurred for the right-of-way work and our guys literally followed the tie gang’s progress and accomplished this task in a very short time,” Kagan ex-plained. “It was a great way to pair up ongoing work without causing any additional service impact.”Removal of the graffiti on a

natural stone bridge at Dover Plains last summer proved to be a chal-lenging case. “That wall defeated our stocked removers, but we finally found a concrete floor cleaner by Sherwin Williams which stripped the graffiti,” Morton noted, adding that the structure was still clean as of late-January!“This isn’t a glamorous job and

can prove frustrating…these guys give more than 100% every time they attack a defaced surface and while customers may not notice ordinarily, unarguably our sur-rounding communities are very appreciative,” Morton said.

To help you be “green” at home, here are 10 steps to sustainability at home, courtesy of the New York State Depart-ment of Environmental Conservation.

u Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Recy-cling is easier than ever, but reducing and reusing the amount of products we buy—and the packaging they come in—will also reduce the energy and resources needed to produce them.

u Dispose of your hazardous wastes appropriately. Some types of garbage- including paint, fertilizers, and compact fluorescent light bulbs—can damage waterways and soil if they are thrown out as household trash. Find out where to recycle them at: www .Earth 911 .org

u Eliminate the energy drains in your house. Unplugging appliances when they aren’t being used can save energy and lower your electric bill.

u Switch your lighting to compact fluorescent light bulbs. These energy-savers use about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

u Buy energy-saving appliances that are ENERGY STAR® rated.

u Leave the car in the garage, and walk or bike when possible. The more people in your town who show an interest in being outside, the more likely the town will provide resources like sidewalks and bicycle trails.

u Keep your car in tip-top shape. By keeping your tires properly inflated, having regular tune-ups, and maintain-ing a steady speed, you can maximize your fuel efficiency.

u Clean green! Although many green cleaning supplies are on the market, even a simple vinegar and water solution is great for mopping the kitchen floor.

u Wash laundry and dishes on full loads, and use cold water when possible to wash clothing. You’ll be saving time, water, and energy.

u Refuse plastic shopping bags. Keeping a recyclable grocery bag in your car or tote allows you to avoid plastic bags, which can take more than 500 years to decompose.

FUN FACTS:

Which line has the most graffiti?

The Hudson Line, the lower end.

Which station areas have the

most graffiti?

Spuyten Duyvil

Which area has had graffiti

removed the most times?

University Heights and Morris

Heights, seven times each

Our Mott Haven Structures gangs

transform a graffiti-covered area

near our Botanical Garden Station.

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Farewell Message From Howard Permut

Af ter a 34-year career at Metro-North, I am retiring today ( Friday, January 31) as pres i dent of the railroad. It is time for me to move to the next phase of my life and pursue new interests.

Metro-North has constituted the major part of my career, and a good part of my life. I was privileged to be one of the founding members of the railroad in 1983, and have been honored to be President over the past five years.

We faced great challenges, many of which, at the time, seemed in sur mount able. Yet over the years, we achieved successes that were unimaginable in those early days. We became the busiest railroad in the U.S. and along the way earned a reputation for delivering excellent customer service. Last year, we celebrated two significant milestones—our 30th anniversary and the Centennial of Grand Central Terminal, for which we serve as the proud steward. None of this could have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of the Metro-North team.

However, last year was unarguably the most difficult period in Metro-North history and the most difficult of my tenure. The serious incidents that occurred, including the tragic Spuyten Duyvil derailment, shook us to our core. This event, in particular, will affect me for the rest of my life.

There are numerous challenges in the coming years. Working together, I am confident that you, under the leadership of Joe Giulietti, will successfully address these issues and that Metro-North will continue the pursuit of excellence that was set in motion in 1983.

I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

Howard Permut

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Inquiring Photographer

LaShawn CherryCustomer Service –SMO Always report some­thing that might be a potential safety risk. Bags left on the floor… some thing broken that needs to be fixed… if no one addresses it then it could eventually jeop ard ize some­one’s safety.

William StampConductorAlways come to work vigilant — if there’s a safety standard that you are unfamiliar with, ask about it. Then you can use that info rmation when you need it to help others.

John BattleCustomer Service Rep.Come to work well rested; get a good night’s sleep to benefit your performance on the job. If you can’t concentrate on your job responsibilities due to lack of sleep, then you may put others in danger.

Andrzej DamianskiLaborer Never forget your PPE (Personal Pro­tec tive Equip ment). This line of work has its risks so min i miz­ing them with the right pro tec tive gear goes a long way. Glasses, helmets, proper boots, and safety vests – it’s all necessary.

Metro-North’s annual East-of-Hudson ridership last year was the highest in

our history, at 81.8 million, surpassing the previous East-of-Hudson record of 81.5 mil-lion rides that was set in 2008.

This is an increase of 0.7% above calendar-adjusted 2012 levels. Combined ridership on the East- and West-of-Hudson markets was 83.4 million.

In 2013, the Harlem Line was the fastest growing line with a 1.2% increase and carried 26,949,667 riders.

The New Haven Line was up 0.5% and recorded its highest ridership ever in 2013 (carrying 38,975,052 customers) an increase of more than 1 million annual rides since 2008, and 175,000 more than in 2012, the previous record year when the line carried approximately 38.8 million customers.

The Hudson Line grew 0.3% in 2013 and carried 15,877,559 customers.

Metro-North’s 2013 EAST-OF-HUDSON RIDERSHIP HIGHEST EVER; 83.4 MILLION Total Rides Provided East- and West-of-Hudson

During the past year, commutation ridership grew 1.8%, reflecting the strength-ening regional economy, while non-commu-tation ridership decreased 1% from the previous year, due to a variety of factors including weather and major service disruptions.

Metro-North rail ridership in the West-of-Hudson territory, including the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines, was down, falling 2.3% to 1,576,227 rides in 2013. Individually, ridership on the Port Jervis Line fell 3.6% and ridership on the Pascack Valley Line was essentially un-changed from the previous year. While the ridership drop is not as pronounced as in previous years, it reflects a customer base that has been slow to recover since Hurri-canes Sandy and Irene. West-of-Hudson ridership peaked in 2008 at almost 2.1 million.

We asked employees in Grand Central for their top safety tip.Here is what they told us:

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Eng

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Photos: George Mateo

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Inquiring Photographer

Celebrate Black History

Month!

Sandra Bolton Laborer Always be aware of your surroundings when working in the Terminal and else­where. With the amount of traffic here every day, it can get hectic fast. It’s important to watch where you’re going and be in con­stant com mu ni ca tion with your fellow coworkers.

Josip GoretaSteamfitter Pay attention and participate at the safety meetings; there is always something to learn to help you perform your job safely. And when you go to these meetings, take them seriously and use what you learn and you and your coworkers will be safer for it.

Juan Vizcaino Building Maintenance Supervisor As a supervisor, it’s important to make sure that all of my workers are prepared for their day with the proper safety equipment and an alert mind. Communication among management, supervisors and workers is extremely important when it comes to safety.

DIVERSITY

Please join us this month as Metro-North Railroad celebrates Black History Month, also known as African American History Month.

This event was first celebrated as Negro History week in 1926 and expanded to a month in 1976. That year, as the nation celebrated its bicentennial, President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

This year’s theme is “Civil Rights in America,” which marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Through the years, leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela, promoted equal rights for all Americans regardless of their background.

Looking at the railroad industry’s early years, decades before the rise of modern civil rights movements, black railroaders forged their own brand of civil rights activism by organizing their own associations, challenging unions, and pursuing legal rights in courts. The image of the Black Pullman porter was in railroad advertising for years, but the link

between African Americans and the growth of American railroads is much deeper than carrying luggage. African American railroad-ers, both men and women, made significant contributions to the building, maintenance, operations, and profitability of the American Railway system and continue to do so today.

This month, and all year long, Metro-North recognizes all the contributions made by Black Americans and black railroad workers throughout the United States.

For more information about Black History Month please visit: http:// www .african american history month.gov

(Metro-North Railroad is committed to maintaining a culture that acknowledges and embraces the diversity of our workforce and of the customers we proudly serve. The Railroad appreciates and respects the contributions and perspectives of all our employees, and promotes an inclusive, non-discrimi-natory working environment that inspires individual and organizational excellence. Together, we can accomplish our mandate to provide safe, efficient and reliable transportation for our customers. Thanks you for your support and efforts in helping us maintain a workplace that welcomes and values a diverse and inclusive workforce.)

We asked employees in Grand Central for their top safety tip.Here is what they told us:

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Published for the employees of MTA Metro‑North Railroad by Corporate & Public Affairs, 345 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017

Executive Editor: Mark MannixEditor/Writer: Joe Antonacci

Managing Editor/Writer: Nancy HuieWriter: George Mateo

Senior Graphic Designer: Barbara Sarcich Photo Contributors: Patrick Cashin

Meredith Conti George Mateo Kyle McCarthy

And once summer rolls around, the Terminal will once again be teeming with fresh-faced interns—this time they’ll be the ones lucky enough to have been offered a chance to put their skills to work!

continued from page 2

Rail News

On Track is looking to start a new feature where you can send in a photo

of a coworker who is retiring and tell us why they will be missed. Your story should be 100 words or less. Space is limited, but we will try to publish as many retiree memories as possible in each issue. Send your retiree memory and photo to Nancy Huie, Corp. & Public Affairs, 345 Madison Ave., 2nd FL, or email to Huie@mnr.org

Thanks for the

Memories

by the FTA in March 2013. The MTA has spent almost $180 million so far on capital projects to rebuild and strength-en infrastructure damaged by Super-storm Sandy, and committed more than $750 million for specific Sandy recovery and resiliency projects, many of which are funded at least in part by the grant being announced today. Complete details at http://tinyurl.com/lmt78ot

That was the question most often asked by hundreds of eager students who

flocked to Vanderbilt Hall last month to attend the internship fair showcasing numerous departments within the railroad.

The event drew students from a range of universities, who were pursuing a wide range of degrees: They were all hoping to get a spot in Metro-North’s summer 2014 internship class and experience first-hand what this railroad is all about!

Attendees were briefed about the internship program and then were “let loose”

to roam the hall to visit the department tables that held the most interest for them. These intern wannabes also had the chance to dazzle the department reps while handing over their resumes.

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Talk about having a spectacular commute! Customers and visitors passing through Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall recently were treated to some dazzling legwork from

The Rockettes who were promoting their new show “Heart and Lights” that opens at Radio City Music Hall on March 27.

HEARTS & LIGHTS,ROCKETTES STYLE