Transit Authority
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Q: I saw a metal box in Grand Central Terminal with the words “air monitoring equipment” on it. What was that all about?
A: The equipment is part of an airflow study being sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security to understand how a toxic gas or powder might travel through the terminal as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s effort to prepare for a biological or chemical terror strike. The study conducted with scientists from four national laboratories last week was similar to tests made in June. Scientists used a colorless, odorless nontoxic gas and aerosol tracer to see how air flows through the terminal. Scientists hope the tests will help them understand how the movement of people through the terminal would affect the path of a toxic substance. Approximately 750,000 people pass through Grand Central on most weekdays. Information from the tests will help scientists develop technology that can immediately assess the potential affects of a toxin, which will help transit police safely evacuate the building during an emergency. The test results will also help engineers redesign the heating and ventilation system to make it less vulnerable to bioterrorism.
Q: I was on the first car of an A train heading south recently when the driver slowed down and honked the train’s horn. What was unusual, though, was that he did this over and over again for at least 20 blocks. Frankly, I was quite alarmed by this and thought something was wrong. Was there?
A: It certainly sounds like something was wrong. Usually, motormen execute several short blasts to alert track crews of a train’s arrival. In these situations, the train slows down as it passes the crews, who use their floodlights to illuminate themselves and the tunnel. A spokesman for New York City Transit Authority, James Anyansi, said motormen sometimes give their horns long blasts if they see an unauthorized person on the tracks. The blasts are supposed to alert other trains in the tunnel. Transit officials consider this one way to alert other trains, in addition to alerting supervisors on their two-way radio.
