by
Sarah Dalsimer
A1: SUBWAY FIRE
(03:31)
NARR:
At the February 3rd meeting of the council's Transportation Committee, council members tried to find out how long it would take the MTA to fire proof all of the relay rooms that remain unprotected throughout the subway system. New York City Transit official Michael Lombardi wouldn't be pinned down to a timeframe.
TAPE: Lombardi (00:10)
We're working on a plan to put fire protection in there but I can't tell you right now because the plan hasn't been totally developed yet.
NARR:
Committee Chairman John Liu wasn't satisfied with the response.
TAPE: Liu (00:13)
That is evidence of a sense of no accountability. That is evidence of a lack of urgency to bring our subway system into 21st century standards.
NARR:
Council member Peter Vallone, Jr. went even further in his criticism of the MTA, the majority of whose 17 member board is appointed by the governor.
TAPE: Vallone (00:18)
You know, Mr. Chair, I think this is an example of what happens when you're accountable to no one except Governor Pataki. You're allowed to come before a legislative body and say, you know what, we'll do it when we do it. We'll get around to it when we get around to it. It's yet another example of the states and its agencies incompetence and arrogance.
NARR:
Council members were angry at what they see as the MTA's slow progress in updating and fixing the subways. Six years ago a fire similar to the one at Chambers Street severely damaged the signaling equipment at the Bergen Street station on the F and G lines. An internal investigation by the Transit Authority determined that fire retardant material and smoke detectors should be installed in all the relay rooms in the system to prevent another such fire. Today, 40 of the systems 198 rooms remain unprotected. The MTA said that they'll only be able to install fire prevention materials in 12 more rooms over the next five years.
While the most recent incident highlighted the vulnerability of the system to fire, Council member Liu said that it also raised concerns about the possibility of a terrorist attack.
TAPE: LIU (00:35)
If a relatively small fire like the one at Chambers Street could happen, knocking out a relay room and eliminating service for nearly 600,000 riders, even if it was only just for several days, what's going to happen to the subway system if a group of individuals made a concerted effort to wreck havoc on the subway system and to perhaps kill people? What would happen then?
NARR:
The MTA would not address the risk assessments that they conduct or the protections they may have installed for basic equipment like fresh air pumps. In March of 2003, the authority said it would spend 591 million dollars to safeguard the system. After the hearing, Council member Liu said that the council has no idea how the money is being spent.
TAPE: Liu (00:11)
We don't have any sense that the MTA is even using the money wisely. That is the big picture in terms of the lack of accountability at the MTA.
NARR:
Liu said that the oversight process at the MTA has to be reformed. Some city politicians have said that they would like to see the subways and buses under the control of the mayor, and not the governor.
Sarah Dalsimer, Columbia Radio News.