Metro-North Railroad's emphasis on on-time performance worsened the safety culture at the commuter rail line, said a
"There is no room for compromise where safety is at stake. The size and composition of MTA's next capital program must continue to be designed with a priority towards the state of good repair within the system," said an Aug. 27 report by a six-member panel of transportation experts, chaired by Mortimer Downey, a senior advisor at infrastructure firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Mortimer Downey, a former MTA executive director.
Metro-North had a series of mishaps last year, notably a Dec. 1 derailment north of Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx that killed four people and injured about 70.
The MTA has about $34 billion of municipal bond debt. The state agency operates New York City's subway system, Metro-North and Long Island railroads, seven bridges and two tunnels.
It must submit its 2015-2019 capital plan to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Albany legislative leaders by Oct. 1. The plan funds infrastructure, from routine repair of trains to megaprojects such as the Second Avenue subway and East Side access for LIRR trains.
The panel, which MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast assembled in August 2013, also called for better data systems to monitor track conditions and adjusting schedules to provide for more time for track work. In all, it made more than 29 recommendations without affixing any dollar amount.
