1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 2: I made a joke earlier to Paul Sweeney, how are 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: you getting home on Tuesday? How do you get picked 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 2: at work? And I got silence from Paul. You don't 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 2: really know right now? 6 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 3: I don't In New Jersey, Transit will wait on them, 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 3: but I suspect I'll be spending another evening in the metropolis. 8 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: We will get an update now from a gentleman with experiences. 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: This a legit major storm experience. General Lieber joins us 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 2: now with the MTA Jenna. What's your biggest headache right now? 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: Listen? We got service running. You know, the challenges are 12 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: are well known. We got to keep our snow fighting equipment. 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: We got jet engines, snowblowers operating on the subways, literally 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: on clearing the tracks, especially in the outdoor areas. The 15 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: challenge of you know, buses moving around is the same 16 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: as any vehicle. But we are meeting the challenge, Tom, Paul. 17 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: We are. We're running subway service, albeit on a little 18 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: you know, reduced frequencies. We got buses out there. Metro 19 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: North is operating on a reduced schedule. The one piece 20 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: of our system that is on suspension is the Long 21 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: Island Railroad. It's no secret that Long Island's getting hammered, 22 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: and that wasn't the same place to operate. But otherwise subways, buses, 23 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: commuter rail operating, how does. 24 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 2: The wind play into it? I mean, I'm calling it 25 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 2: a snow it cane. I get the temperature, snow is snow. 26 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 2: But like the wind on the various trunks that you have, 27 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: I mean underground, it doesn't affect it. But how do 28 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 2: you adapt to the wind? 29 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:41,839 Speaker 1: Generallyver the issue with wind mostly is actually the impact 30 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: it has undrifting. What you know when you have for example, 31 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: we have some areas in the subway system that are 32 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: what we call an open cut that's like a little valley, 33 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: a depressed area below grade, but it's still open to 34 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: the sky, and snow tends to accumulate, and the wind 35 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: pushes the snow into those areas. The drift on the 36 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: commuter railroads sometimes we'll cover the third rail our source 37 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: of power. So that is and obviously for people who 38 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: are driving buses and even trains, the visibility issues associated 39 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: with wind. That wind is the dominant factor in determining 40 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: when we can bring back Long Island railroad service at 41 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: the east end of our system. 42 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 3: So what is the latest thinking, John about the Long 43 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 3: Island Railroad here, because, again, as you've mentioned, and we've 44 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 3: heard from the weather folks, that's really bearing the brunt 45 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 3: of the storm. 46 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, we did an orderly shut down last night 47 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: at about one am. The goal is always to get 48 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: everybody home. We did that last night with some extra 49 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: service late late, and now we're going to be focused 50 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: on orderly resumption of service, hopefully in time to operate tomorrow, 51 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: when you know, the world will will be getting a 52 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: little bit back to normal. So that's the approach that 53 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: we take, say fifty first, you know, and taking account 54 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: of where the snow accumulations and the drifting may have 55 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: impacted on service. You know, one thing to bear in 56 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: mind is in our big train yards, that's where we 57 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: tend to get you know, the biggest drifting issues, and 58 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: you know sometimes that inhibits your ability to put cars 59 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: into the system into service. So we'll be digging out 60 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: from in the yards and making sure that again the 61 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: third rail and the tracks themselves are clear of snow. 62 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 2: We continue with General liber MTA share quality time from 63 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 2: his crisis center, Paul Sweeney, General liber Jenna. 64 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 3: So all your personnel, the critical personnel of the MTA, 65 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 3: how do you manage getting those folks to where they 66 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 3: need to be, because, boy, they have to get there 67 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 3: just like the rest of us. 68 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: It's part of the deal when you sign up to 69 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: work for the MTA that you may have to come 70 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: in under extreme circumstances. When the rest of the world 71 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: is being told to stay home, our workers are being 72 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: told to come in, and they do. They they worked 73 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: through the night, They worked heavily. Yesterday we got seventy 74 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: thousand employees at the MTA. Thousands of them have been out. 75 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: Many of them have slept in you know, in bus 76 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: garages or in rail the rail control center where our 77 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: head of Subways spent the night at the bus command center. 78 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 1: It's part of the deal working for the NTA. And 79 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: you know, I talked to Governor Hokel in the last 80 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: you know, in the last hour or two and uh 81 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: and and she's really focused on on you know, a 82 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: tip of the hat to the to the workforce. 83 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 2: A General Lever. I love artificial intelligence. It can ruin 84 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 2: your day. General, you gotta help me here with the 85 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 2: one point eight million dollars per inch? Myth Now, this 86 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: is a department of sanitation. Did every inch of snow 87 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: costs one million dollars? What's your every inch of blizzard 88 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 2: that costs the MTA? Do you have a number? Even 89 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 2: if you don't tell me, do you have a number 90 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: in your head? 91 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: I'll tell you the absolute truth. I have no idea whatsoever. 92 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 1: It's that you've given me new metric. We use analytics 93 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: here like crazy to evaluate how well we're doing, hopefully 94 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: to operate more efficiently every day. You know revenue you 95 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: know costs per car mile, cost per revenue mile for 96 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: its subway and bus and commuter rail. You've given me 97 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 1: a new metric to study. But right now I have 98 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: no idea what to say to you. 99 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 3: John Old. This is the second big, big winter storm 100 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 3: of the season. It's arguably one of the biggest storms 101 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 3: we've had in decades in this area. How's your system 102 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 3: kind of holding up? Is there a cumulative effect where boy, 103 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 3: we can't We really don't want to have a third 104 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 3: or a fourth storm this season. 105 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: Honestly, the challenge is is you know the same every time, 106 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: which is you have to get the snow off, You 107 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: have to make sure you have enough people to operate fully. 108 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,799 Speaker 1: You have to chain all the buses, you have to 109 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: move car you know, subway cars around and put them 110 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: in the tunnel, store them in the tunnels. You know, 111 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: it's not that we we we every storm makes it harder. 112 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: To the contrary, you know, for better where we're getting 113 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: better at preparing for these because we've had repetitive storms 114 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 1: and we're going to continue to try to get better. 115 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: In the air of climate change, we're dealing with all 116 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 1: kinds of extreme weather events. You know, right now we're 117 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: forgetting about torrential rainfall and and uh and rising sea levels, 118 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: but those are issues for the MTA as well. 119 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 2: What does the morning look like, let's say four or 120 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: five a m. Tuesday morning. Mister Lieber, can you say 121 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 2: back to normal? 122 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: I don't know about normal, but listen, our friends in 123 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: at the Department of Sanitation are clearing not just the 124 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: streets but the bus stops. That's really important, something that 125 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: I know the Mayor wants to do better at compared 126 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: to the first time around, so that our bus people 127 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 1: who depend on buses will be able to get on 128 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: and off them without having to climb climb over a 129 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: four foot mind of snow. Who shot that's an important issue. 130 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 2: That's brilliant. Who actually picks up, shovel and shovels a 131 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 2: bus stop? Who is that person? 132 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: Well, it's a lot of it's it's folks who work 133 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: for the Department of Sanitation. They're supplemented. This is City 134 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: of New York as opposed to MTR but they're supplemented 135 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: by Parks Department workers. And they're actually hiring folks off 136 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: the street for extra shovelers this time around. So I'm 137 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: very hopeful that that particular challenge will be addressed, and 138 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: we're we're gonna be clearing not just the tracks, but 139 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: also our yards as I mentioned, which is where trains 140 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: tend to get stuck. Uh And and there are you 141 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: know a lot of complex switches that can inhibit things 142 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: if they're not properly in order. 143 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 2: One more question, Paul, you were you were impressed by 144 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 2: the buses. 145 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, just walking to work this morning, I saw some 146 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 3: of the buses here. Talk to us about the buses 147 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 3: because boy, there, I haven't seen too many snowplows out 148 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 3: yet because the storm is still raging here. How do 149 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 3: the buses adapt here? 150 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: It's it's old fashioned stuff, Paul. It's we put chains 151 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: on every on the tires of every bus, and that 152 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: that that gets done in the days leading up to 153 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: the storm, when we know it's coming. You know, forecasting 154 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: is getting better and better, we chain the entire fleet, 155 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: and we take all the articulated buses, which are you know, 156 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: tend to move around a little more in slippery conditions. 157 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: We take them out of service, and we make plans accordingly. 158 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 2: General, thank you so much for taking precious time this morning. 159 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: This is the MTA of New York City as they 160 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 2: deal with the storm, as I'm sure we're seeing in 161 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 2: Philadelphia and Boston.