Read us at home at www.yourmnr.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

Cop An Attitude Our Safety Dept. wants Metro-North employees to embrace an (safety) attitude by focusing on key safety behaviors. See the details on page 2.

She’s (Not) For Real... Katie works 24/7 delivering vital info to our customers and providing great support to our Customer Info Center. Read about this consum-mate employee on page 3.

Ron The Builder After 35 years on the railroad, Ron Yutko bids adieu leaving behind some tremendous Capital Pro-gram achievements. See Ron’s com-ments on pages 4-5.

You’re Zero! To hear that in terms of recorded injuries will be music to our ears! See some advice from your co-workers at Highbridge Car Appearance Facility as to how we can reach this Vision 2013 goal on page 7.

The employee occupants of our newly built Harmon Coach Shop are obviously “pumped up” about the prospect of working in this state-of-the-art facility that brings train car maintenance into — and beyond — the 21st century! Read the story below for more details.

The Monthly News Publication for MTA Metro-North Railroad Employees March 2010

multiple unit) cars or 10 coaches, com­pared to the old shop’s maintenance tracks which only handled up to six cars.

In all, the new tracks give us the capa­bility to inspect or repair 28 cars simul ta­ne ously!

“We are able to more efficiently repair cars, getting them back into service faster,” Militano says. “Obviously having more cars in one place cuts down on the amount of time we have to spend moving equipment, and that translates into time we can spend actually fixing and repairing what needs to get done.”

And speaking of getting work done, the new shop has also been designed with roof­top level platforms that increase efficiency and improve safety: In the old shop, portable staircase ladders and platforms were manually moved to differ­ent parts of the cars in order to perform the necessary work.

Also putting workplace efficiency on the fast track are the new multi­positional car hoists, or electrically operated car lifts. These hoists can lift coaches, M3s, or M7s,

When does coach feel just like first class? When you’re inside the cavernous 110,000­square­foot Harmon Coach Shop that opened for business in January.

This newest Harmon Shop structure is part of Phase 3 of the massive Harmon Shop Replacement Program that started in 2007. As with the Locomotive Shop that opened last October, construction of the Coach Shop was completed on time and on budget!

In a nutshell, the high­tech Coach facility provides its 160 employees with a slew of new state­of­the­art features that make accomplishing tasks faster, easier, and safer.

Says Facility Director – Hudson Line John Militano, “This building truly repre­sents the future of railroading, and will continue to serve Metro­North well for the next 50 to 100 years.”

Great AccommodationsOne of the facility’s many highlights is its six new tracks, three of which are “lift tracks” that are equipped with car hoists.

Additionally, there are two consist maintenance tracks, each of which can accommodate up to eight EMU (electric

Put Me In Coach

continued on page 4

March10_OnTrack_MECH1.indd 1 3/25/10 11:55:02 AM

What the other members of our MTA family are up to.

2

Rail News

...this year’s safety focus is on peer-to-peer

communication...

They’ll Share... Next Year The MTA Business Services Center (BSC) is moving forward to-ward a system of shared services to support select Human Resources, Finance, and IT processes across the MTA family of agencies.

BSC staff is working with MTA headquar-ters and agency partners to prepare the peo-ple, processes, and technologies to ensure that the system will run seamlessly when it goes live as of January 1, 2011.

Several groups are working simultaneously toward this goal:• The BSC Council, which is comprised of CFOs, Human Resources, and Executive staff members from headquarters and agen-cies who regularly review the project’s status and exchange ideas about key implementa-tion issues.• Chief Information Officers, Human Re-sources Directors, and Controllers, who meet monthly with BSC Division Leaders to discuss project status and functional issues or decisions.• Agency Readiness Partners — key manag-ers and staff members from HR, Finance, and IT departments who will ensure all implemen-tation activities are complete for the launch of the system at headquarters and agencies.• Training Subcommittee members — VPs, Directors, and key managers who provide train-ing oversight at the agencies by planning and preparing for the delivery of training to employ-ees who will be impacted by the BSC project.• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), who func-tion as liaisons to headquarters and the BSC to provide expertise and critical input to the project from start to finish. Some of the tasks they support include process and procedure review, system testing, operational testing, and training activities.• Representatives for Business Process Workshops — these employees have re-viewed the BSC shared system processes, paving the way for transition of specific job functions — Benefits, Infrastructure and Applications, Employment, Payroll, HRIS and Compensation, Training, Accounts Payable, and Accounting — to the BSC.

Once the system goes live, a single multi-function group will work to implement a com-mon way of doing business across the MTA, using PeopleSoft 9.0 as the organization’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

This shared services approach will afford us the opportunity to become more efficient, transparent, and cost effective.

At the same time a Customer Management Center will begin providing quality customer service for MTA employees, internal and exter-nal job applicants, and vendors, allowing the agencies to focus on their core services.

I t’s often said that people are a prod­uct of their environment. According to Chief Safety and Security Officer Mark Campbell, safety is not only a

product of the work environment, but more importantly, a result of people work­ing safely within that environment.

“Over the years, Metro­North has reaped tremendous safety benefits from extensive workplace improvements, as well as our many safety initiatives such as employing Job Safety Briefings, wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and following General Safety Instructions.”

However, to take the next big safety step forward, we need to put even more emphasis on following key safety behav­iors and avoiding risky ones, according to Campbell.

This change in workplace behavior will succeed, he notes, if there is a grassroots movement to make it happen.

“Round­the­clock vigilance and con­stant awareness of good safety practices is essential to keeping the railroad a safe place to work,” Campbell notes. “And developing new actions to heighten aware­ness begins with input and participation from the employees working in the shops, yards, and on the right­of­way.”

Toward that goal, this year’s safety focus is on peer-to-peer communication: Coworkers should not only look out for each other, but work actively with each other to find ways to change and improve safety behaviors.

In conjunction with that initiative, work is also being done to improve com­munication among our various Local, District, and Steering Safety Committees so that good ideas from every level are shared and promoted.

For example, the Priority One Steering Committee is inviting representatives from the District Safety Committees to partici­pate in their meetings.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to hear directly from the employees in the field about how they think we can achieve our safety goal of zero injuries,” Campbell explains.

In addition, representatives from the Local Committees will be attending the President’s Senior Safety Committee Meetings as a part of their District teams.

It’s expected that much of the peer­to­peer involvement will also come from successful partnerships between our various Local Safety Committees (made up of representatives from different crafts) working together with the six District Safety Committees.

“The Local Committees have always been our ‘eyes and ears’ in our quest to improve workplace safety conditions. With their help we can achieve the same suc­cess in changing unsafe behaviors,” Campbell says.

What are some of those unsafe behav­iors? They could be as simple as not wearing a safety belt in a vehicle; not climbing on and off equipment in the proper manner; lack of attentiveness when working near moving equipment; not wearing PPE; or not paying attention to job safety briefings. These are the seemingly small things that can contribute to acci­dents and injuries.

“Everyone can take another big step in reducing injuries at Metro­North by keep­ing their work environment safe and by working safely within that environment.

“And the best way to bring the two together is through teamwork, coopera­tion, and communication from the ground up. Staying safe is truly a matter of ac­tions speaking louder than words,” Camp­bell says. n

BehaviorTherapy

If you think safe while working, you’ll be safe while working.

Achieving

Injuries

ZeroTh

is s

tory

rel

ates t

o our VISION 2013 goal of...

March10_OnTrack_MECH1.indd 2 3/25/10 11:55:04 AM

3

M eet Katie… one of Metro­North’s newest employees, and probably the most popu­lar one among our customers (don’t take it personally).

She works for the railroad 24 hours a day, seven days a week, has all the an­swers to customers’ travel questions, and puts customer service above all else. (Sounds like President’s Award material!)

But Katie does have one unusual characteristic — she’s not a real person! Katie is the voice of our new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

(Katie is the name of the person whose voice we have digitally “immortalized” to answer customer questions.) So now, when customers call our Customer Information Center (212­532­4900) for general informa­tion, they can choose to chat with Katie.

Information Update“Although the older IVR touch­tone pad system (where customers hit a certain number on the phone keypad and were ‘told’ what number to hit next to receive the information they wanted) worked, it wasn’t nearly as expedient, efficient, or expansive as the new IVR system,” IT Senior Special Projects Lead (and project manager) Jane Seidenberg explains.

“And given the new available technolo­gies, it was becoming obsolete and increas­ingly difficult to find replacement parts when something needed to be fixed.”

So, to improve, update, and upgrade the service, Metro­North purchased a new IVR system (the same one used by Long Island Rail Road) at the end of 2008.

“Within a year, thanks to the tremen­dous teamwork among the IT, Communi­cations and Signals, and Customer Service departments, we were able to develop, build, install, test, and successfully launch the new system on November 17, 2009,” Seidenberg says.

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaa yyyyaatttttttttt yyyyyyttttttttttttyytyyyytyytttttttttttttttttttttyytyyyytyyttttttttttttttyyyyKKKK

yyK

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yyKKKKKKKKKKaKKaaaaaaKKaKKKKaKKaatttttttt eeeettttiiiiii

Not Lost in Translation The purpose and design of the new IVR is to provide customers with information as quickly and “painlessly” as possible. To accomplish that, the system uses “text to speech” and “voice­recognition” capabili­ties — that means it can “read” digital text and translate it into a computer­generat­ed, fairly pleasant and recognizable sound­ing human voice.

Katie also “understands” customers’ requests, and then guides them through an easy step­by­step process to furnish them with the exact information they need.

Standard words (like station names) and general phrases, such as “Okay, I got that,” and “You can also say more op­tions,” were recorded by “human Katie,” and those recordings were woven into the flow of questions and answers.

And from where does “computer” Katie get her information?

“The new system feeds off the same database as our internet, while some infor­mation about our promotional discount packages is pre­recorded. So, customers can get all the information that’s also available on our website: general station information, schedules, fares, promotions, ferry and parking information, ticket ma­chine locations, ticket office hours… almost every aspect of our service that a customer would want to know. The old IVR system provided only schedule, promotional and basic fare information,” Assistant Deputy Director — Customer Information Technol­ogy Philip Diaz explains.

“The new IVR system is also more reliable, because it is connected to Metro­North’s electronic master schedule, which is created and kept current by our Opera­tions Services and our Operations and Planning Analysis departments. By using information that already exists, we reduce the possibility of error because Customer Service no longer has to manually input

data into a separate database,” he explains.“Plus, the railroad’s other systems, like

Trip Planner (on the internet) and Metro­North Train Time™ (the new monitors located at Harlem­ 125th Street, Yankees­ E. 153rd Street, White Plains, Larchmont, and Fordham stations) read off the master schedule as well, so all the information that is disseminated is consistent.

“And, not having to manually input the schedule data ourselves allows Customer Service to spend even more time providing excellent service to our customers, and preparing for new projects, etc.,” Diaz says.

The Human TouchRegardless of all this “customer/computer” interaction, and despite Katie’s dulcet tones, many customers still prefer person­alized service provided by a real human.

“If a customer calls and wants to speak to one of our Customer Service representa­tives, all they have to do is say ‘representa­tive,’ into the phone and they’ll get the same personalized, attentive service they’re accustomed to,” Diaz explains.

“Having this new technology in place, however, is a huge customer amenity, and very advantageous for the Customer Infor­mation Center.”

So, remember — if someone you know needs information about Metro­North, tell them to give “Katie” a call… she’s available whenever they need her! n

(Clockwise from right): Phil Diaz and Jane Seidenberg give Katie a try; CIC’s David Smith, Bob Schmitt, and Judith McCormack, appreciate Katie’s assistance; Customer Service’s Sean Fahey checks in with Katie.

IVR provides customers with

information as quickly and “painlessly”

as possible.

co

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(Clockwise from right): Phil Diaz and Jane Seidenberg try; CIC’s David Smith, Bob Schmitt, and

Judith McCormack, appreciate Katie’s assistance; Customer Service’s Sean Fahey checks in with Katie.

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Achieving

Injuries

ZeroTh

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March10_OnTrack_MECH1.indd 3 3/25/10 11:55:08 AM

4

providing easy access underneath the car for maintenance and repairs. The hoists in the former facility could lift only a single car from one end by use of an overhead crane.

(Presently, the new Coach Shop is provid­ing double-duty by serving our electric fleet while future plans are being made to replace the existing Electric Car Shop.)

“To lift a rail car, the hoist is hooked onto jacking pads situated at various points along the bottom of a car... this also helps to sup­port the car body.

“Pads on different car types are found at different points along the car. Originally, this shop was designed to handle only coaches, but when we realized we were going to have to service the M3s and M7s as well, we re­designed the hoists to accommodate all three fleets,” Militano notes.

As the Wheel TurnsPerhaps one of the most interesting high­lights of the Coach Shop is the new wheel truck removal system — a “Lazy Susan”­style turntable that removes wheel trucks and safely “spins” them out of the way as they are taken off a car for repair.

“When a rail car is lifted, the wheel trucks are lowered onto the rails, released from the car body, rolled out from under the car, and onto the turntable.

“The turntable is then positioned in the direction of the wheel truck’s next destination (for maintenance or storage, for example). Once there, it’s simply rolled off the turntable to its location. It’s an amazingly simple and safe system,” Militano explains.

Like the Locomotive Shop, the new Coach Shop is also equipped with storage areas for parts, employee offices, and support facilities.

And, in deference to Mother Nature, the Coach Shop is “green” as exemplified by the eco­friendly, sustainable elements in the facility. Among the sustainable design fea­tures: Building Management Systems that

maintain the operation of the heating and cooling units at optimum efficiency; skylights and translucent panels of windows that maximize the use of natural light; solar­pow­ered switch machines; and automatic shut­off faucets and lights.

Now and Later“The creation of this shop has been part of our master plan for the past 10 years. We’ve been fine-tuning it, retuning it, and changing it over time to keep pace with the ever­chang­ing funding amounts available.

“However, we managed to keep all the elements we knew we’d need to operate and maintain the equipment now and into the future while planning this facility.

“A lot of the features of this building may seem unnecessary to the untrained eye, but they’re not. There are no frills here — everything was built with a specific purpose... to accommodate Metro­North’s current and future needs,” Militano says.

Now that is a sound investment... in manpower and infrastructure! n

There are no frills here — everything was built with a specific purpose.

Ron began his career with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in 1974, when he was hired as a transportation engineer to work on two federally funded research projects.

“After those projects were completed, I worked on the New Haven Electrification Improvements — 60 Cycle Conversion of the New York portion of the New Haven Line. Metro-North wasn’t an official railroad yet, so the work was being done by our predecessor, Conrail,” he notes.

Electrifying! In 1980, Ron became Program Manager for the Upper Harlem Electrification Project between North White Plains and Brewster. When Metro­North was “born” in 1983, he came to the nascent agency, bringing the project with him.

“It was an important endeavor for Metro­North’s then­President Peter Stangl because he was out to prove wrong the naysayers who contended that a public project could not be done on time and within budget.

“And prove them wrong we did — by building substations, platforms, signals, and implementing new M3 cars, we completed the project in 1983… on time and on budget,” Ron boasts.

Following this electrifying triumph, Ron became Director of Capital Engineering and

Design, overseeing the replacement of the railroad’s entire power and signal systems, between 1985­1986.

“These projects signaled the turnaround for Metro­North — we had a reliable power system, and a modernized fleet (with the addition of the M3 cars) — we were ready to be a first-class railroad,” Ron recounts.

Remarkable Following Ron’s first huge achievements for Metro­North, he went on to supervise, and champion some of the railroad’s most impor­tant and innovative capital works, including the completion of Grand Central North, the Park Avenue Viaduct, and the rehabilitation of Harlem­125th Street Station in the 1990s; the extension of the Harlem Line from Dover Plains to Wassaic in 2000; the completion of the mid­Harlem Third Track in 2004; and in the past few years, construction of Yankees­ E. 153rd Street Station, building of the Har­mon Locomotive, Coach, and Wheel Truing shops, continuation of the Hudson Line stations rehabilitation program, and the purchasing of the new M7 and M8 cars.

“I’ve worked with Ron on many projects, including the new Harmon Rehabilitation Program,” Director Shops, Yards, and Envi­ronment Michael Sickenius says.

“He was always an invaluable source of

support and inspiration. I will miss his words of wisdom, honesty, and good humor. More importantly, he was a true gentleman, and I will miss that, too.”

However, despite the success of all these programs, they were not without their chal­lenges, says Ron. “Unlike other construction work sites, which can be isolated or cordoned off, in our case the railroad is the work site, and we have to continue to run our trains while work is ongoing.

“In this context, the building of Yankees­ E. 153rd Street Station was the most remark­able project we ever did... I’m so proud of everyone associated with it.” he says.

Director­Special Projects Capital Engineer­ing (and project manager for the Yankees­ E. 153rd Street Station) Mari Miceli who’s reported to Ron throughout her Metro­North career says, “Ron was an incredible source of support during the project. He trusted his staff enough to let us take the ball and run with it (no pun intended), and was there every step of the way to support and advise us.

“Ron’s always been a great source of knowledge and wisdom about construction and how to effectively work with people, and I’m going to miss him greatly,” Miceli notes. “Over the course of his career, Ron has been a dedicated and accomplished employee and leader, and has given Metro­North some of

our greatest capital achievements. I’m sure we all wish Ron the very best in his retire­ment,” notes President Howard Permut.

Simply the Best“While I was at Metro­North I got to work on some of the most interesting and satisfying projects of my career. I was also lucky enough to work with a never­ending stream of talented, dedicated people. With lots of good and worthwhile capital programs, over time I believe we helped build Metro­North into a reliable, customer­friendly, service­oriented railroad… the best commuter rail­road in the country,” Ron sums up.

“I am proud to have so many outstanding employees on my team, and I know any one of them can assume a leadership role.”

And what will Ron do in retirement? “First I’ll do some traveling, then spend more time with my family; I have three children and a grandson. But, truth be told… I probably won’t be giving up capital work for good… I may find a way to share some accumulated institutional insights with this wonderful industry in the future. What can I say? It’s in my blood.”

Yes… Ron truly is a man built to last! Best of luck and thanks for all you’ve given Metro­North. n

I was also lucky enough to work with a

never-ending stream of talented, dedicated people.

Ron celebrates completion of

Grand Central North with John Seyboldt (left)

and Mike Daniels.

Ron Yutko Can you find Ron in this photo of the delivery of our first M4 triplet in Brooklyn?

BuilttoLast

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra, and Capital Pro­grams Senior Director Ronald

Yutko — what do they all have in common? (If you’re thinking “unique vocal renderings,” you’d be wrong... unless you’ve heard Ron belt out a ditty or two!)

They are all “Jersey Boys.” (Ron hails from Little Falls in the Garden State.) But more importantly, although the first three have contributed much to the world of music, Ron stands alone in this crowd as having overseen, managed, and contributed to the creation of some of the most important capital projects in Metro­North’s history.

Ron, who retired in January after 35 years on the railroad, says about the enormous legacy he has left behind, “There was no better place to build capital projects than at Metro­North — we truly helped to create a world­class railroad from the ground up.”

continued from page 1Put Me in CoachPut Me in CoachPut Me in CoachPut Me in CoachPut Me in CoachPut Me in CoachPut Me in Coach

March10_OnTrack_MECH1.indd 4 3/25/10 11:55:14 AM

5

providing easy access underneath the car for maintenance and repairs. The hoists in the former facility could lift only a single car from one end by use of an overhead crane.

(Presently, the new Coach Shop is provid­ing double-duty by serving our electric fleet while future plans are being made to replace the existing Electric Car Shop.)

“To lift a rail car, the hoist is hooked onto jacking pads situated at various points along the bottom of a car... this also helps to sup­port the car body.

“Pads on different car types are found at different points along the car. Originally, this shop was designed to handle only coaches, but when we realized we were going to have to service the M3s and M7s as well, we re­designed the hoists to accommodate all three fleets,” Militano notes.

As the Wheel TurnsPerhaps one of the most interesting high­lights of the Coach Shop is the new wheel truck removal system — a “Lazy Susan”­style turntable that removes wheel trucks and safely “spins” them out of the way as they are taken off a car for repair.

“When a rail car is lifted, the wheel trucks are lowered onto the rails, released from the car body, rolled out from under the car, and onto the turntable.

“The turntable is then positioned in the direction of the wheel truck’s next destination (for maintenance or storage, for example). Once there, it’s simply rolled off the turntable to its location. It’s an amazingly simple and safe system,” Militano explains.

Like the Locomotive Shop, the new Coach Shop is also equipped with storage areas for parts, employee offices, and support facilities.

And, in deference to Mother Nature, the Coach Shop is “green” as exemplified by the eco­friendly, sustainable elements in the facility. Among the sustainable design fea­tures: Building Management Systems that

maintain the operation of the heating and cooling units at optimum efficiency; skylights and translucent panels of windows that maximize the use of natural light; solar­pow­ered switch machines; and automatic shut­off faucets and lights.

Now and Later“The creation of this shop has been part of our master plan for the past 10 years. We’ve been fine-tuning it, retuning it, and changing it over time to keep pace with the ever­chang­ing funding amounts available.

“However, we managed to keep all the elements we knew we’d need to operate and maintain the equipment now and into the future while planning this facility.

“A lot of the features of this building may seem unnecessary to the untrained eye, but they’re not. There are no frills here — everything was built with a specific purpose... to accommodate Metro­North’s current and future needs,” Militano says.

Now that is a sound investment... in manpower and infrastructure! n

A Real Crowd Pleaser!The new Harmon Coach Shop is drawing rave reviews from the very people who count... the employees who work there!

Sheet metal worker Robert Dear Jr. says the shop is more employee-friend-ly. “It is clearly designed to help us avoid injuries, and to do our jobs better.

“You could almost say the shop sports hotel-like accommodations! And, there’s something great about being the ‘first ones’ in the shop… sort of like breaking new ground.”

Electrician Emdadul Kabir says, “The new shop is an excellent, upgraded, modern facility that definitely makes do-ing our job easier and more convenient.”

“The shop is amazing and light years better than the old one, but since I was in the old shop for 23 years, I feel a bit

of separation anxiety,” laughs Secretary Rose Costanti.

And Carwoman Marcia Easy has just one word to describe the new shop, “Niiiiiice…”

Coach Shop Superintendent Richard Pixley thinks the shop is great! “The wide open space provides much more ‘elbow room,’ making it much easier to get tasks accomplished.

“And aesthetically, it’s a much nicer environment in which to work.”

Lead Foreman — Coach Shop Hugh Boulware couldn’t agree more. “This shop is cleaner, more spacious, and safer compared to the old one. It lends a real air of professionalism to what we do.”

You couldn’t find a bigger hit on Broadway! n

Ron began his career with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in 1974, when he was hired as a transportation engineer to work on two federally funded research projects.

“After those projects were completed, I worked on the New Haven Electrification Improvements — 60 Cycle Conversion of the New York portion of the New Haven Line. Metro-North wasn’t an official railroad yet, so the work was being done by our predecessor, Conrail,” he notes.

Electrifying! In 1980, Ron became Program Manager for the Upper Harlem Electrification Project between North White Plains and Brewster. When Metro­North was “born” in 1983, he came to the nascent agency, bringing the project with him.

“It was an important endeavor for Metro­North’s then­President Peter Stangl because he was out to prove wrong the naysayers who contended that a public project could not be done on time and within budget.

“And prove them wrong we did — by building substations, platforms, signals, and implementing new M3 cars, we completed the project in 1983… on time and on budget,” Ron boasts.

Following this electrifying triumph, Ron became Director of Capital Engineering and

Design, overseeing the replacement of the railroad’s entire power and signal systems, between 1985­1986.

“These projects signaled the turnaround for Metro­North — we had a reliable power system, and a modernized fleet (with the addition of the M3 cars) — we were ready to be a first-class railroad,” Ron recounts.

Remarkable Following Ron’s first huge achievements for Metro­North, he went on to supervise, and champion some of the railroad’s most impor­tant and innovative capital works, including the completion of Grand Central North, the Park Avenue Viaduct, and the rehabilitation of Harlem­125th Street Station in the 1990s; the extension of the Harlem Line from Dover Plains to Wassaic in 2000; the completion of the mid­Harlem Third Track in 2004; and in the past few years, construction of Yankees­ E. 153rd Street Station, building of the Har­mon Locomotive, Coach, and Wheel Truing shops, continuation of the Hudson Line stations rehabilitation program, and the purchasing of the new M7 and M8 cars.

“I’ve worked with Ron on many projects, including the new Harmon Rehabilitation Program,” Director Shops, Yards, and Envi­ronment Michael Sickenius says.

“He was always an invaluable source of

support and inspiration. I will miss his words of wisdom, honesty, and good humor. More importantly, he was a true gentleman, and I will miss that, too.”

However, despite the success of all these programs, they were not without their chal­lenges, says Ron. “Unlike other construction work sites, which can be isolated or cordoned off, in our case the railroad is the work site, and we have to continue to run our trains while work is ongoing.

“In this context, the building of Yankees­ E. 153rd Street Station was the most remark­able project we ever did... I’m so proud of everyone associated with it.” he says.

Director­Special Projects Capital Engineer­ing (and project manager for the Yankees­ E. 153rd Street Station) Mari Miceli who’s reported to Ron throughout her Metro­North career says, “Ron was an incredible source of support during the project. He trusted his staff enough to let us take the ball and run with it (no pun intended), and was there every step of the way to support and advise us.

“Ron’s always been a great source of knowledge and wisdom about construction and how to effectively work with people, and I’m going to miss him greatly,” Miceli notes. “Over the course of his career, Ron has been a dedicated and accomplished employee and leader, and has given Metro­North some of

our greatest capital achievements. I’m sure we all wish Ron the very best in his retire­ment,” notes President Howard Permut.

Simply the Best“While I was at Metro­North I got to work on some of the most interesting and satisfying projects of my career. I was also lucky enough to work with a never­ending stream of talented, dedicated people. With lots of good and worthwhile capital programs, over time I believe we helped build Metro­North into a reliable, customer­friendly, service­oriented railroad… the best commuter rail­road in the country,” Ron sums up.

“I am proud to have so many outstanding employees on my team, and I know any one of them can assume a leadership role.”

And what will Ron do in retirement? “First I’ll do some traveling, then spend more time with my family; I have three children and a grandson. But, truth be told… I probably won’t be giving up capital work for good… I may find a way to share some accumulated institutional insights with this wonderful industry in the future. What can I say? It’s in my blood.”

Yes… Ron truly is a man built to last! Best of luck and thanks for all you’ve given Metro­North. n

Th

is s

tory

relates to our VISION 2013 goal o

f...

Achieving

Performance

98% On-Time

Can you find Ron in this photo of the delivery of our first M4 triplet in Brooklyn? Ron is bid a fond farewell by appreciative Capital Programs Division staff members.

Put Me in CoachPut Me in CoachPut Me in Coach

March10_OnTrack_MECH1.indd 5 3/25/10 11:55:18 AM

6 “Identify a potential significant other by observing their behavior on our train... If they use their smartphone sparingly, clean up and take their trash with them, keep their feet off the seats — then they are definitely ‘date material...’ ”

Such a witty writing style makes schedule changes, upcoming construction projects, and on­time performance that much more fun for our customers to read!

“I’m not writing for a bureaucratic audience,” Antonacci, who spends about a week compiling the newsletter, notes.

“I’m writing for the same people who read The New York Times or The Daily News every morning. That’s my competition.”

If you want a laugh, read this NYT article on our intranet at http://www.mnr.org/news_clips/archive/ 2010_2/ 2010_2_22/MNRR%20Newsclips%20­%20Feb%2022%202010%20­%20001.pdf n

I’m writing for the same people who read The New YOrk TImeS or The DaIlY NewS every morning. That’s my competition.

Our Man Of

Many Words W

e don’t usually boast, but Corpo­rate & Public Affairs’ very own Deputy Director Joe Antonacci was interviewed last month by The

New York Times for the great work he does writing our monthly customer publi­cation, Mileposts.

Prompting this interview was our February Mileposts carrying a Valentine’s Day theme.

Typical of the “chatty, humorous style” that Antonacci likes to employ is that issue’s Courtesy Corner:

Our Mileposts Maestro, Joe Antonacci, uses a chatty humorous writing style to tell customers what they need to know.

Free HOme DelIvery In less THAn 30 mInuTes!

Domino’s isn’t the only company that can lay claim to that! Now you can get regular updates emailed right to you about the latest Metro-North news and how it affects you and your family!

Just send your email address to us at Iwantmnremail@mnr.org.

And don’t forget, you can also log on to our employee extranet

(www.yourmnr.org) or intranet (www.mnr.org) for all things

Metro-North from the comfort of your home, too. (And you

don’t even have to answer the doorbell!)

...wow!

Bow wow... it truly is a dog’s life! And to prove

this axiom, The American Kennel Club recently held a press event on the Northeast Balcony of Grand Central Termi­nal to announce the list of the top 10 most popular canine breeds in America.

Coming in at number one and number two are the Labrador Retriever and Ger­man Shepherd, both breeds used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Police Department (MTAPD) K­9 unit “to protect and to serve.”

The Unit was also highlighted and celebrated at the ceremony. n

March10_OnTrack_MECH1.indd 6 3/25/10 11:55:19 AM

7

This column will highlight a customer letter that shows how, on a daily basis, our employees’ dedication and hard work contribute toward Metro-North’s reputation as a brand name for excellence.

CustomerCornerThis column will highlight a customer letter that shows how, on a daily basis, our employees’ dedication This column will highlight a customer letter that shows how, on a daily basis, our employees’ dedication and hard work contribute toward Metro-North’s reputation as a brand name for excellence.and hard work contribute toward Metro-North’s reputation as a brand name for excellence.

Dear Sir or Madam:

I would like to commend a Metro-North Conductor named Yolanda, who is usually assigned to the Harlem Line train that departs from Pleasantville at 8:12 AM.

Last week, I evidently dropped my wallet. Besides the usual cache of credit cards and driver’s license, I was carrying an unusual amount of cash and Transitcheks. Not more than a few hours after I had reported my loss to Lost and Found, they called and told me that my wallet had been turned in. All its contents were intact.

It is a very gratifying thing to know that we are in good hands on your railroad, and that your employees are honest and conscientious. They give you and New York a good name.

I hope that you can acknowledge Yolanda with as many raises and promotions as she clearly deserves.

Thank you,

—Su—SuSSananDDIAMIAMooNDND

By 2013 we will acheive:

ZerO InJurIes

we spoke to employees at highbridge Car appearance Facility about how we could attain this goal.

For further information on Vision 2013 visit our extranet at www.yourmnr.org.

Kevin MackMechanical ForemanYou need to be aware of your surroundings at all times while working... In fact, you should be aware of your surroundings at all times! And following the rules about wearing PPE (personal

protective equipment) can save someone from potential injury.

Keith BernasconiElectricianEveryone needs to follow the safety rules. A good way to approach every job safely is to do a check list and then make sure you adhere to that list. Don’t become complacent with the

task at hand — that’s when injuries occur.

Clifford PorterConductorFocus on the job at hand and leave any “drama” from home... at home, because it will only distract you. Always wear your PPE and the proper shoes. Make sure your bulletins are up to

date. Discuss every train move with your crew as something is different every day.

Giovanni Russo CarmanFollow a few simple procedures... Make sure you wear your PPE. Always be aware of your surroundings and those coworkers working around you. Adhere to the safety instructions given in

the daily safety briefing.

Roland ShulerCarmanAchieving zero injuries is going to take some luck because some jobs on the railroad present an increased chance of an injury. While accidents do happen, we need to continue to take every

precaution to keep ourselves and our co­workers safe.

Bryan KarcherMechanical ForemanWe need to keep our facilities clean and clutter free so we can make our environment as safe as possible. We need to work together to get new ideas about how to improve a fa cil­i ty. And we should keep everyone inform­

ed of safety rules by doing continuous safety audits. Do Job Safety Briefings at the beginning of every shift and make it relevant to the specific task for the day.

Paris ColesLaborerHey, here at Highbridge, we are injury free. You need to keep a clear head and pay attention to everything around you. Keep a positive attitude and keep your work area clean.

Martin June ElectricianSeparate your job from your home and don’t bring those prob lems to work. Remember, a lot of us are at work more than we are at home. It’s all about teamwork and keeping an eye on

each other so we can go home in the same condition we got to work — in one piece.

Maria LorenzoCoach CleanerBe aware of your sur­roundings — pick up any garbage and things that have fallen around you to prevent tripping hazards. Make sure you wear your PPE. If you have to lift or move some­

thing and it’s too heavy or cumbersome, ask for help — don’t be a hero and try to do it by yourself. Finally, keep an eye on each other.

March10_OnTrack_MECH1.indd 7 3/25/10 11:55:24 AM

Executive Editor: Mark MannixEditor/Writer: Joe Antonacci

Managing Editor/Writer: Nancy HuieAssociate Editor/Writer: Gerri Ganz

Copy Editor: Ivy Harris

Creative Director: Michael StetsonPhotographer: Frank EnglishSenior Graphic Designer: Barbara Sarcich

Published monthly for the employees of MTA Metro­North Railroad by Corporate & Public Affairs345 Madison AvenueNew York, NY 10017

8

On the Road to Vision 2013Here’s how the railroad stands in some of our key goals for 2013 as of February 28, 2010:

February 2010 YTD 2010 Goal

Achieve Zero Injuries:FRA Reportable Injuries 11 17 132Lost Time Injuries 7 12 82Achieve 98% On-Time Performance:On-Time Performance (E of H) 97.7% 98.1% 97.7%Mean Distance Between Failure

(as of January 31, 2010) 133,979 133,979 110,000

Achieve 98% Customer Satisfaction:Consist Compliance (E of H) 98.4% 98.4% 97.8%Customer Complaint Index

(per million riders as of January 31, 2010) 156.9 156.9 100

Transport 100 Million Customers:Ridership – E of H 5.6 mil 11.5 mil 78.86 milAchieve 9% Reduction in Cost Per Passenger (from $11 to $10):Fare Operating Ratio (preliminary) 52.9% 54.0% 53.3%

Cost Per Passenger (preliminary) $12.76 $12.55 $12.21

Achieve $75 Million Increase in Non-Passenger Revenue:

Incremental Non-Fare Revenues $233,609 $233,609 $5.237 mil

For more information, visit our intranet at www.mnr.org or our extranet at www.yourmnr.org.

For Your Benefit...

Let’s get to the real heart of the mat-ter: More than 700,000 Americans die from heart disease every year! That’s a sobering fact. And the irony is that many of these heart-related deaths could be prevented if more individuals were simply aware of the risk factors associated with the disease. That’s why we think it’s important for you to know what those fac-tors are and what lifestyle changes you can make to reduce them. So, read on….•   Don’t smoke; and be sure to reduce

your exposure to secondhand smoke. •   Control high cholesterol. •   Control high blood pressure. •   Get plenty of exercise. (An inactive

lifestyle is a risk factor for heart disease.)

•    Control blood sugar. Diabetes signifi-cantly increases your risk for heart disease. Most of the time, maintain-ing normal blood sugar levels reduces your risk.

•   Reduce alcohol intake. As a participant in the Empire

Plan, you can take advantage of an interactive website that helps you assess your personal health risks and establishes a program to reach your health-improvement goals. Just log on to www.myuhc.com.

If you are an HMO participant, visit their website or call for information to see what tools are available to help you reduce your risk for heart disease.

If your medical plan offers a yearly physical exam, be sure to take advantage of this benefit and have your doctor check your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

You may have heard the old saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It is sound advice when it comes to heart disease. By teaching yourself to follow a healthy lifestyle, you can reduce your risk for the disease now and later on in life.

For more information about preventing heart disease and the preventive benefits you’re entitled to: • Employee Benefits Department ...... 212-340-2217

MOVIN’ UPCongratulations to these employees who were recently promoted or transferred:

Michael Balsome to Senior Accounting Analyst – Controller’s Office on December 16, 2009; Daniel Diorio to Manager – Controller’s Office on December 16, 2009; Garrick Fearon to Senior Planner – M of E on January 20, 2010; Christopher Hart to Assistant Track Supervisor – M of W on January 20, 2010; Frank Marchetti to Supervisor – Operations Services on January 8, 2010; Benson Murray to Assistant Chief Training Officer – Training and Development on January 20, 2010; Salvatore Musella Jr. to Track Supervisor – M of W on January 6, 2010; Brian Sterman to Director – Long Range Planning on December 3, 2009; Robert Walker to Chief M of W Officer – M of W on January 8, 2010.

MOVIN’ ONHere are more of your coworkers that have recently retired. Best wishes to all!

Terrence Davenport, Foreman – M of W, 5/22/1979 – 10/1/2009; Frank Dilorenzo, Manager – Safety, 10/20/1997 – 1/20/2010; Susan Dorien, Conductor – Operations Services, 6/28/1979 – 11/1/2009; Richard Hardman, Training Officer – Training and Development, 9/10/1975 – 1/6/2010; Antonino Rap-pazzo, General Foreman – M of E, 8/22/1973 – 1/6/2010; Benjamin Rodri-guez, PEP Clerk – Controller’s Office, 5/31/1979 – 12/31/2009; William West-hoff, Electrical Forman – M of W, 2/6/1980 – 1/27/2010; Robert Williams, Track Foreman – M of W, 4/5/1973 – 12/30/2009; Lazelle Williams, Senior Engineer – Capital Programs, 3/29/1993 – 1/9/2010; Deborah Wilson, Financial Clerk – M of W, 9/27/1979 – 1/14/2010; Jay Wright, Manager – Procurement and Material Man a ge ment, 8/13/1979 – 1/8/2010.

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