Audit Report on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Maintenance of Metro-North Rail Road Stations Within the City
AUDIT REPORT IN BRIEF
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was created in 1965 by the State of New York to maintain and improve commuter transportation and related services within the Metropolitan Transportation Commuter District––the City of New York as well as Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. The New York State Public Authorities Law (NYSPAL) requires that each local governmental unit reimburse the MTA for the cost of maintenance, use, and operation of passenger stations (including the costs associated with providing police protection) within each local government’s boundaries.
This audit reviewed Metro-North’s maintenance operations and the conditions of its City Stations. The MTA bill for both Metro North Railroad and LIRR City Stations for the period April 1, 2001, through March 31, 2002, totaled $66,726,002. It should be noted that we are conducting a separate audit––#FN03-074A––of LIRR City Stations. The results of that audit will be covered in a separate report.
With the exception of the Harlem Line’s Tremont, Wakefield, and Fordham stations, Metro-North generally maintained City Stations in a clean and safe condition and corrected the unsafe and unsanitary conditions identified in our prior audit (FN01-191A, issued February 20, 2002). However, these three stations are not properly maintained and have potentially hazardous conditions in need of repair. The conditions, most of which were noted in our prior audit report, included raised metal expansion plates; uneven, cracked and crumbling cement; and deteriorated steps and staircases. Moreover, Metro-North did not correct all of the unsafe conditions noted by its own inspectors at the Tremont and Wakefield stations, and its inspections of the Fordham station were inadequate.
We found that one Harlem Line Station, Woodlawn, was free of problems, and three Harlem Line Stations (Melrose, Botanical Garden, and Williams Bridge), as well as Grand Central Station and the Harlem-125th Street Station, had minor problems. The remaining five City Stations, all on the Hudson Line (Morris Heights, University Heights, Marble Hill, Spuyten Duyvil, and Riverdale) are undergoing capital renovations and therefore have not been cited for any current conditions. Our review also indicated that Metro-North generally followed its standards and procedures for cleaning services and adequately provided police protection at City Stations.
Finally, we found that station conditions were worse, and the quality of repair work was inferior at City Stations when compared to Westchester County Stations. Unlike the Tremont, Wakefield, and Fordham stations that Metro-North continues to neglect, Metro-North is diligent in maintaining its Harlem Line Westchester County Stations. Our inspections of 26 Westchester County Stations revealed that 25 are properly maintained, with no hazardous conditions evident. Only one Westchester County Station was found to have minor problems. We believe that the residents of New York City are entitled to the same level of service that Metro-North provides to Westchester County residents.
We recommend that the MTA and Metro-North correct all unsafe and dangerous conditions immediately; replace all missing third rail caps and protective sleeve covers immediately; repair the platforms, stairways, and other deteriorated structures identified in this report; clean and remove the graffiti and debris identified in this report; and, ensure that conditions identified by its inspectors are promptly corrected.
Metro-North officials responded that they concur with the report’s five recommendations and have addressed the exceptions identified.