The City of New York Office of the Comptroller Bureau of Finanacial Audit

Audit Report on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Maintenance of Long Island Rail Road Stations Within the City

FN01-190A
February 20, 2002

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Background

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was created in 1965 by New York State to maintain and to improve commuter transportation and related services within the Metropolitan Transportation Commuter District. This district encompasses the City of New York (City) and Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. Chapter 415, § 1277, of the New York State Public Authorities Law of 1966 (NYSPAL), requires that each local government unit reimburse the MTA for the costs of operating, maintaining, and using commuter passenger stations located within their boundaries. In June 2000, the New York State Legislature amended § 1277 of the NYSPAL to establish an annual fixed billing. The bill is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for the New York, Northeastern-New Jersey Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The audit reviewed the Long Island Rail Road maintenance operations and the conditions of its City Stations. Prior to the State fiscal year ending March 31, 2000, we audited the MTA's claim for reimbursement of actual costs associated with the maintenance, use, and operation of LIRR's City Stations to verify whether the costs were reasonable, accurate, and allowed under Chapter 415, § 1277 of NYSPAL. The MTA’s bill for both LIRR and Metro North Railroad City Stations for the period from April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2001, totaled $65,359,978. We are conducting a separate audit––#FN01-191A––of Metro-North’s City Stations. The results of that audit will be covered in a separate report.

Our audit objectives were to determine whether the LIRR maintained the City Stations in a clean and safe condition; corrected unsafe and unsanitary conditions at City Stations identified in the previous report; and provided maintenance services for City Stations in accordance with LIRR’s standards and procedures. We met with LIRR officials to obtain an understanding of their station maintenance operation. We reviewed operating procedures and standards adopted by the LIRR and examined station maintenance and cleaning records to determine the LIRR’s compliance with those procedures; inspected all LIRR City Stations to determine whether they were properly maintained; and determined whether the MTA provided adequate police protection at the City Stations. In addition, we determined whether unsafe and unsanitary conditions noted in our prior audit (#FN00-174A) were corrected.

Results in Brief

Our review of the MTA’s maintenance operations for LIRR City Stations found that four stations––Bayside, Far Rockaway, Hollis, and Little Neck––were free of problems; three stations––Auburndale, Jamaica, and Long Island City––were undergoing capital renovations; and 16 stations––Belmont Park, Douglaston, Flatbush Avenue, Flushing Main Street, Forest Hills, Hunterspoint Ave., Kew Gardens, Laurelton, Locust Manor, Nostrand Avenue, Penn Station, Queens Village, Rosedale, St. Albans, Shea Stadium, and Woodside–were in good or fair condition, with only minor problems.

However, three other stations––Broadway, East New York, and Murray Hill––had some potentially hazardous conditions and were clearly the most poorly maintained. Many of these conditions were also noted in our prior audit (Audit #FN00-174A––issued on February 22, 2001). The potentially hazardous conditions included uneven, cracked, and crumbling cement; damaged steps on staircases; and loose metal plates on station platforms. (See Appendix II for photographs of some of the conditions we observed during this audit.) The chart on ES-4 summarizes the types of problems at each station and identifies those problems found in our previous audit.

Moreover, the LIRR did not always correct the problems indicated on its Engineering and Passenger Services Departments' inspection reports. The LIRR inspects each City Station at least once a year in accordance with its guidelines. However, conditions noted during LIRR inspections at certain City Stations as far back as October 1998 were not always addressed and corrected.

For example, Inspection reports of the Broadway Station by LIRR's Engineering Department in October 1998 and October 2000, and its Passenger Services Department in June 2001, disclosed that the station's concrete platforms were cracked and needed to be repaired. However, during our inspections in August 2001, we noted that the concrete platform was not repaired.

As a second example, Inspections conducted by the LIRR Passenger Services Department in February 2000, and its Engineering Department in June 2000 disclosed broken steps and loose concrete on the platform of the East New York Station. A June 2001 inspection report stated that the station had potential tripping hazards caused by raised expansion joints and loose concrete. However, as of August 2001, none of these conditions had been corrected.

Finally, in a January 2000 inspection report, LIRR engineers reported that the Murray Hill Station "platform needs extensive work throughout." A November 2000 Engineering inspection report and a December 2000 Passenger Services inspection report noted problems that should be repaired: broken and chipped steps on the station's stairs; cracked and crumbling cement on the station's platforms; and steel plates at the edge of the platform requiring repair. We observed that these conditions existed in August 2001 and were noted in our 1999 and 2000 audit reports.

In addition, LIRR did not follow its station-painting guidelines; it did not paint three City Stations as frequently as required––once every two to five years, depending on daily ridership. The Broadway Station, painted in 1995, should have been painted in 1999; the Flatbush Avenue Station should have been painted in 1999 and again in 2001, but had not been painted since 1997; and the St. Albans Station should have been painted in 1996 and in 2001, but had not been painted since 1991.

Recommendations

MTA and LIRR should:

1. Correct all unsafe and dangerous conditions immediately.
2. Repair the platforms, stairways, and other deteriorated structures identified in this report.
3. Paint, clean, and remove the graffiti and debris at the City Stations, as necessary.
4. Ensure that conditions identified during annual inspections are corrected.
5. Ensure that stations are painted in accordance with the guidelines.

LIRR Response: LIRR officials agreed with the report's five recommendations and responded that the Broadway Station is currently undergoing renovations; the staircases will be renovated and new fencing will be installed along the tracks. LIRR also responded that all the staircases at the East New York Station were repeatedly repaired and new stair coverings added. However, vandalism is a continuing problem at this station. LIRR further stated that the Murray Hill Station has undergone temporary repairs of both the platform and the staircases. In addition, LIRR officials stated that the painting of the Broadway, Flatbush Avenue, and St. Albans stations were either deferred to a later date, or not performed, because of scheduled renovations of those stations.

As part of LIRR's response, the Engineering and Passenger Services Departments indicated the actions that they have taken in response to the station conditions noted in this report. These actions included repairing platform concrete, staircases, fences, and walkways; removing graffiti; and replacing broken glass.