The MTA's latest pot of Sandy relief and recovery aid comes to $886 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The majority of it — $535 million — will be used to repair flood damage to under-river subway tubes used by the R, G and 7 trains.
MTA chairman Tom Prendergast said those repairs will include moving cables that power signals from the floor to the roof of the tunnels, and wrapping them in waterproof material.
The grant also comes with a bit of good news for the beleaguered Metro-North Railroad, which is getting $103 million for equipment repair. Despite several service disruptions in recent days due to cold weather, Prendergast said only a small part of that money would be used to make rail and subway lines less vulnerable to the cold.
"The primary focus with the resiliency money has to do with high water events," he said. "But I would not rule out cold weather events."
An MTA spokesman said the funds would also be used to buy two new pump trains to help keep water out of the under-river tubes, bringing to five the number of pump trains that the authority will have as its disposal.
This latest grant is part of $3.8 billion in federal Sandy relief and recovery funds that have been earmarked for the authority. See below for a detailed accounting by the MTA on how it plans to spend the grant.
MTA New York City Transit
Amount
Project / Description
$266.4 million
R Line - Montague Tube: Work is underway to replace systems in the R train’s Montague Tube under the East River, including track, switches, 30,000 feet of duct bank, 200,000 feet of communications cables, 75,000 feet of power cable, two pump rooms, a fan plant, two substations, three circuit breaker houses. More information: http://web.mta.info/sandy/montague.htm and http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/R_14monthMontagueTunnelClosure.htm
$89.1 million
G Line - Greenpoint Tube: Work is underway to restore the G Line’s Greenpoint Tube under Newtown Creek, including replacement of tunnel lighting, track, power and communication cable, signals, a pump room and a fan plant. More information: http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/FixingtheGreenpointTubes.htm
$83.1 million
A Line - Rockaways: Reimbursement for completed work to restore A train service to the Rockaways. More information: http://web.mta.info/sandy/rockaways.htm
$77.4 million
Sandy Design & Pre-Engineering: Ongoing design for numerous upcoming repair projects including work needed in shops, yards, tubes, stations, depots and other facilities.
$19.6 million
Fare collection equipment: Replacement of damaged Subway / Select Bus Service fare collection equipment. This includes the purchase of an armored vehicle damaged at the Maspeth revenue processing facility, which flooded.
$18.5 million
7 Line - Steinway Tube: Work to restore the 7 Line’s Steinway Tube under the East River is taking place during night and weekend outages that were already planned for the modernization of signal system through upgrading to communications-based train control (CBTC).
$15.2 million
South Ferry: Cleanup of the South Ferry 1 Station opened in 2009 and re-opening of the 1 Line’s South Ferry Loop Station. Work to rebuild/rehabilitate the 2009 South Ferry Station will be funded separately. More information: http://web.mta.info/sandy/south_ferry.htm
$13.9 million
Pump Trains: Conversion of existing rolling stock into two new pump trains, increasing New York City Transit’s subway water-pumping capacity. Currently there are three pump trains and 14 under river tubes. Work is underway, with both new trains expected to be complete by May 2014.
$12.8 million
Coney Island: Permanent repairs to New York City Transit employee facilities and District Office 34 at Coney Island / Stillwell Terminal that were damaged by Sandy.
$12.5 million
Lower Manhattan Resiliency: Work is underway to prevent water incursion in Lower Manhattan through a specific list of ventilation grates, manholes and subway stairs. Design is underway to develop solutions for other additional openings, including fan plants. Additional funds will be requested in subsequent grants. More information: http://web.mta.info/sandy/lower_Manhattan.htm
$7.3 million
Security: Restoration/replacement of security equipment in under-river subway tunnels.
MTA Long Island Rail Road
Amount
Project / Description
$120 million
Long Beach Branch: Projects will replace three of four substations on the branch, and permanently restore signals, power, and communications systems, system components and cabling along the right-of-way, including grade crossings and station platforms. Construction is underway to replace the emergency generator, underwater cable, and bridge electrical systems on the Wreck Lead Bridge, which spans Reynolds Channel and connects Long Beach to Island Park.
$10.2 million
West Side Yard: Project replaces signal, power and other assets in the yard, including switch machines, signal components, third rail components, switch heaters, and facilities fire alarm systems.
$6.1 million
First Avenue Substation: Design is underway to make permanent repairs to LIRR power substation at First Avenue, which provides power to tracks leading to Penn Station.
$6 million
Infrastructure and system upgrades at facilities and assets that experienced wind damage or flooding, including the Hillside Support Facility, Shea Yard, the Far Rockaway Branch, and the Westbury Station.
$3.4 million
Long Island City Yard: Electrification of Tracks 7 & 8, making Long Island City a more robust terminal if service through East River Tunnels is curtailed. Project includes restoration of Long Island City Yard power substation.
More information: http://web.mta.info/sandy/lirr.htm
MTA Metro-North Railroad
Amount
Project / Description
$74.8 million
Power: Project replaces damaged components, including substations, third rail components, facility houses. Design underway for substations and facility houses for Harlem River Lift Bridge.
$21.5 million
Communications and Signals: 30 miles of fiber optic cable will be replaced. Other components requiring replacement includes signal cable, switches, bond boxes, relays, snowmelters, crossing gate infrastructure. Design underway.
$7.2 million
Right-of-Way: Tree removal and shoreline restoration work.
More information: http://web.mta.info/sandy/mnr.htm
MTA Capital Construction
Amount
Project / Description
$21.4 million
Security Equipment: Project repairs damaged security equipment in East River tunnels. Design underway.