Abstract

The $2.4 billion program to extend New York City Transit’s No. 7 Subway Line to the west side of midtown Manhattan is a unique undertaking. For the first time subway service will be provided to this section of the City. It will  engender transformation of neighborhoods largely characterized by parking garages and low-rise former manufacturing facilities to a complete change in the City’s skyline. Extremely tall commercial office buildings, residential towers, restaurants and entertainment centers are being planned and designed. Some have already been constructed, while others are underway.

 The subway line is being extended 1.5 miles from its current terminus at Times Square.  The first of six construction contracts, a massive $1.1 billion effort --- the largest single contract ever awarded by NYC Transit---created subway tunnels, a mammoth cavern for a new underground station at 34th Street and 11th Avenue and the station’s structures. Tunnel Boring Machines and controlled blasting were used and resulted in several technical “firsts”. This contract was completed in April 2012, five months ahead of plan. It has already received several regional and national awards for its design and construction. Operational service of the extension is to be initiated in mid-2014. It is expected that ultimately the station will be the busiest in the City.

 The No. 7 Line Extension is a fast track program. It has undergone numerous changes since its inception in 2002. Despite such changes, adherence to budget and schedule have always been paramount to the project’s planning/design/construction management team. As the program is funded by tax-free City bonds to be repaid by taxes generated by the anticipated real estate developments, budget management is particularly important. Whenever possible, during the various stages of the project, opportunities to conserve money (or time) have been identified, evaluated and implemented when appropriate.   Overall, total expenditures are forecast to be completed within budget.

 From the beginning construction safety has been touted as the program’s top daily concern. To date, accident rates are significantly below national averages. Stringent quality assurance programs, during both design and construction, have similarly been the focus of attention. The results have been reflected in minimal numbers of change orders and instances of nonconformance from design plans and specifications.

Speaker

Bio:
Mark J. Schiffman is employed by MTA Capital Construction as a Vice President and Deputy Program Executive. He is engaged in design and construction of the $2.4 billion No. 7 Subway Line Extension in Manhattan. His direct responsibilities are to oversee design and “project controls”, i.e., all aspects of scheduling, financial management, quality assurance, safety, environmental compliance and other matters, pertaining to the project.

 Mark joined MTACC in 2008. For more than 35 previous years he had been employed by several different planning/engineering-architectural design/construction management consulting firms. He was responsible for management of their offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New England.

 His technical experience includes work on a wide variety of public and private works projects. They include roads, highways, bridges, buildings (commercial, residential, industrial), utilities, rail and bus transit facilities, and others.

 Mark is a licensed Professional Engineer and an attorney. He received a B.S. (major – civil engineering) from Cornell University, a Master of Engineering (major – traffic and transportation) from the University of South Carolina, and a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill).

Career Networking LCI

Topic: Networking Well is An Art

PMO LCI

Topic: Quarterly Panel Discussion

The PMINJ PMO LCI hosted its quarterly Panel Discussion facilitated by the core PMO LCI team. It was an interactive session where participants had an opportunity to discuss best practices, challenges, and other information about PMOs.  We welcome your input to make each panel discussion useful to you and fellow LCI members.