The AirTrain:
A Man Has Died And The Borough Is Silent

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

I remember when they first sold us the AirTrain. . . way back when.

It was all the good people of New York could get from the Port Authority and they had to throw us something; after all, they took care of Newark.

So the folks of the Port Authority set out, hired consultants and convinced the people of New York that the AirTrain would ease the pain of thousands of passengers going to and from Kennedy Airport; would provide an economic boom to the downtown Jamaica community which would serve as the hub of the operation; and finally, someday would hook up with future construction and give us the long-awaited train to the plane — serving both Queens airports and as a link to Manhattan in a magical mystery ride.

We bought it or at least accepted it because it was that or nothing, and they went to work.

They hired major mega-construction companies and with impressive speed and efficiency we saw pillars march down the Van Wyck to the Airport. Then, almost nine months ago, we saw the arrival of the actual AirTrain and slowly they started testing the system.

The promises — no matter whether we were duped or not — were becoming a reality. The AirTrain was rolling.

Then, last September, a 23-year-old Laurelton employee of Canadian rail company Bombardier — contracted by the Port Authority to build, test and operate its AirTrain JFK light rail service — died when a train he was operating derailed during a test run.

An investigation conducted by the Port Authority all but entirely blamed Bombardier, and repeatedly cited the shortcomings of a particular supervisor as contributing to the accident. You can see the report at www.panynj.com.

The supervisor — who won’t face any disciplinary action — has been whisked away, at his request, to work in a foreign country shortly after the accident. 

And we’re wondering, does anyone care?

Where’s the outrage?

Hang on, it gets worse.

The supervisor, we learned only by asking Bombardier, is nowhere near here. The Turkish national “asked to transfer” to his native land shortly after the accident, Bombardier said, and the company complied.  The company said it wouldn’t pursue any disciplinary actions against this supervisor as the problems leading to the accident were “issues of training and issues of process” and “the process moved through him.”

Get that, did you?

Bombardier’s spokesman wouldn’t give any more details about what the supervisor is doing in Turkey except to say that he’s doing “consulting projects.”

The family of the dead operator has filed a notice of claim for $50 million against the Port Authority, Bombardier and other companies possibly involved in the accident. Its lawyer admitted it would be very difficult to get in touch with this supervisor if they find him to be a central figure in a trial.

The Port Authority’s report was released under the most stealth of conditions: at the same time that it held a telephone press conference with reporters at noon on April 15, Mayor Bloomberg made a major televised budget-cut announcement that got him on front pages across the City the next day.

What’s more shocking is that even though human error was solely responsible for the fatal accident, no humans are paying for it, especially the faulted supervisor. He’s not even available to answer questions.

But what’s most shocking is that no one seems to care.

Elected officials — who should care — are silent.

Council Transportation Committee Chair John Liu told us more than a week ago that he needed a week for his staff to read the 11-page report and “absorb what happened and the ramifications.” After that week passed, he still had no comment on the report, telling us he — and most other people involved in public transportation issues — is focused more on recent MTA scandals.

Westchester-based State Assembly Transportation Chair Richard Brodsky, who has also been busy going after the MTA, didn’t seem to care, either. He didn’t even know about the AirTrain report the day it came out and said he had no specific plans to react to it, either.

Where is the very large handful of Southeast Queens elected officials: the Congressman, the State Senators, the Assembly members, the Councilmen?

Where is the Borough President? The DA? Where is the City of New York? The State? The Port Authority?

Hey, there is a headline available; won’t anyone step up and demand some answers? Bombardier continues its multi-million dollar contract on quasi-public money, the public loses six months, a man loses his life and Bombardier transfers the “fall guy” out of the country and out of reach of any legitimate probe.

Even the operator’s family and its lawyer didn’t know about the report the week it came out. They found out when we told them. And when we asked if they were angry about the supervisor’s extraction from the country, the response was lukewarm: they’re exploring systemic problems, not going after an individual.

It seems an extra dollar a day for an MTA commute is more important to most people than the lives of the dead operator and the thousands of people who are expected to ride the AirTrain everyday once it opens up later this year. 

It raises some important questions about the value of life.

It raises some serious questions about the power of big corporations to manipulate the process.

A man has been killed through apparent malfeasance on the part of an employee of the company who continues to operate the AirTrain. The project has suffered a setback, depriving the people of the region the use of the AirTrain and the people of Jamaica the economic benefits promised. A man has lost his life.

And now seven months after the tragic death, we know who is allegedly responsible and Bombardier — the man’s employer — has whisked this Turkish national off to Turkey, where no one can question him and they continue with the AirTrain business as usual.

And we sit silently by.

Where’s the outrage?

Column contributor: Shams Tarek

Licensed To Kill In NY

I was cleaning the office and came across the license plate above accompanied by this letter from a former Republican Assembly candidate:

Dear Mike:

The New Year has arrived and I am catching up on unfinished business.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that for me and my family it truly was an “annus horriblis.” I have never lived a more difficult year other than when my younger brother passed away. The negatives far outweighed the positives. So when I look back at the events that kept me sane, I count our meetings and your subsequent editorial comments as proof that there is still a scintilla of hope for the truth seeing the light of day.

Mike, you were the only person to publicly have the balls to speak honestly about my campaign. I thank you. “Calling it straight” is something that I have done all my life. I greatly admire that characteristic in a person. It clearly has not gotten me fully to where I would like to be, but I just could not do it any other way.

Many years ago, the then Executive Director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce branded me an agitator. Little did he know that I took the comment as a compliment. I would like to bestow the same moniker on you.

Therefore in the spirit of one who would have liked the “de jure” opportunity to promote social change to one who has the “de facto” bully pulpit on a weekly basis to do so, I have this request.

Since it is not my property to give to you, I would like to know whether you would accept this license plate until such time that you are no longer able or willing to FIX-NYC. When that time comes, please return it to me so that I can dispose of it according to the dictates of the New York State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

I hope you will accept this responsibility and place the plate somewhere that you can view it often. This way when you do encounter a moment of weakness and find the need to compromise your principles . . . you will know what to do.

Now that you and your partners have a fresh opportunity to grow the business, I hope you and your family prosper and succeed. But don’t forget to “do the right thing” along the way.

My best Wishes:

John Ottulich