East Side Access, one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects under construction in the United States, will link Long Island Railroad (LIRR) commuter service to Grand Central Terminal, in Manhattan. This Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Construction (MTACC) project will benefit 160,000 daily LIRR passengers by easing congestion and crowding. It will reduce travel times by up to 30 minutes for LIRR riders commuting to the East side of Manhattan. Work includes 8 miles of tunneling and construction of a new 8-track terminal and concourse below Grand Central Terminal, which is one of the world’s busiest train stations.
We have provided PMOC services on the East Side Access Project under three consecutive 5-year task orders since 2003. We played a key role in securing the MTA’s receipt of a $6.5 billion Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for the project, the largest grant ever provided for a mass transit project. Our services included:
We worked closely with the FTA and MTA to complete a risk assessment and develop a risk mitigation plan for the project. We also prepared a report evaluating whether the MTA was prepared to enter into a grant agreement. These reports aided FTA with its final recommendation to the U.S. Department of Transportation for Congressional review of project benefits and award of an FFGA.
Urban has since participated in multiple risk reviews of third-party systems contracts. With our oversight, systems planning and development of procurement and testing schedules began earlier than is typical for a project of this scale.