Port Authority Daredevils

Posted on January 13, 2016 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

By Lenis Rodrigues, Media Relations Blogger

GWB Electrical Crew

You read it right – daredevils.  Those daring Port Authority maintenance employees who routinely hang – albeit tethered with safety harnesses — suspended from the George Washington Bridge, performing inspections and maintaining the span from a height above the water nearly the length of two football fields!

Thank goodness winter in the NY/NJ region has been mild so far . . .because during extreme winter weather the cables on the GWB can become coated in a thick sheath of ice. Once the ice begins melting, sections of cable ice can break free and fall onto the roadway. When such conditions exist,  traffic traveling toward the upper level is diverted to lanes on the bridge’s lower level.

 “Height-certified” crewmembers carrying wooden pick-axes climb to the top of the cables at midspan, hook on their safety ropes, and begin the trek to the very top of the tower. Swinging their ax handles as they climb, they break loose and pry free the ice. Just imagine looking down from those cables. I get dizzy just thinking about it.

“My first time out on the bridge was overwhelming because of the height and the breath taking view. Once I walked a few times to the necklace lights, it became second nature.”

— Former George Washington Bridge Electrician, John O’Leary. John just recently transferred over to the Lincoln Tunnel as a Maintenance Supervisor.

And that’s not all.  Engineers also monitor the bridge cables for corrosion and wear. Inspectors drive long, wooden wedges into the cables to look for rust deep inside. These inspections usually are done at the midspan of the bridge.

Although most improvements to the bridge place the highest priority on improving traffic flow and preserving the structure, one daring job on the bridge raises public awareness about breast cancer and is likely saving lives.

For the last several years, the Port Authority’s sky-high electricians volunteer to install pink gels on the bridge’s 156 necklace lights to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The electricians move so quickly that the gels are installed in under an hour.  Moreover, as part of the longstanding observance of Veterans Day since 1947, the electricians ascend once more to the top of the bridge’s tower to unfurl the world’s largest free-flying American flag.

Just like other daredevils, the Port Authority electrical team puts in hours and hours of training and practice to master working hundreds of feet above ground.

Some people might call them crazy, but their work is essential to the region.  The Port Authority admires their courage. There’s no denying they are among the most fearless people in the world. Just like the late motorcyclist daredevil Evil Knievel and high-wire walkers, they do incredible feats that command our attention and respect.

Posted in bridges, George Washington Bridge, GWB, New Jersey, New York, NY/NJ region, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Portfolio, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

PAPD Promotes a Kaleidoscope of Blue

Posted on January 8, 2016 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

By Mercedes Guzman, Media Relations, Police Blogger

Sergeant Irving is an eight-year PAPD veteran possessing a true public servant’s heart
Sergeant Lawanda Irving pictured at center with Chief Security Officer Tom Belfiore to the left and Police Superintendent Mike Fedorko to the right
Sergeant Irving with Deputy Chief Raymond Bryan

With invited guests, friends and family watching proudly, more than 80 of the Port Authority Police Department’s finest officers advanced in rank last week, during a moving ceremony at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City.

The 81 officers are a diverse group of individuals from distinct backgrounds, some of whom recognized early on their potential for police work and faithfully followed their calling into public service. Others like Sergeant Lawanda Irving chose a very different path before joining the department.

Years ago as the Assistant Dean and Director for the Student Program at Rutgers University, Sergeant Irving would never have dreamed in a million years she would end up in law enforcement. But during her time working with the students she experienced something of an epiphany – she realized just how much she enjoyed helping others and decided that being a police officer would give her the opportunity to fulfill her passion.

Now an eight-year PAPD veteran, Sergeant Irving possesses a true public servant’s heart. She spent the first four years of her law enforcement career at Newark Liberty International Airport and later transferred to the PAPD Police Academy for the next three years. Now, as a Sergeant, she is serving at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.  Sergeant Irving graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelors’ Degree in Business Management and obtained her Master’s Degree from Farleigh Dickenson University.  She embodies completely what being a multifaceted person is about, and she’s just one of the many talented police officers that are happy to protect and serve at our facilities.

 

Posted in New Jersey, New York, NY/NJ region, PAPD, police history, Port Authority Police Department, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

PATH: 5 Great Reasons To Love Trains

Posted on January 6, 2016 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

By Roz Hamlett, Portfolio Editor

As any traveler can attest, for some people the process of getting from one place to another is a royal pain, a necessary chore, an emotionally-charged mix of anxiety, fear and impatience. Whether you’re flying or just riding by car, the experience is in many instances unambiguous – you either love it or hate it.

Traveling by train is often a different story.  Be it a freight train or Amtrak’s Miami-bound Palmetto or a modern high-speed train in Europe, or for some of us, a PATH train pulling into the station – whether on time or running behind — in a larger sense, the lore and history of trains has captivated the imagination of people all over the world.

Here are five of our top reasons for loving trains:

  1. They evoke pleasant memories: Perhaps one reason people love trains is that on a subconscious level, they tug at the heartstrings of our youth, bringing us back to a time and place when Lionel model trains smelling of smoke oil emerged from mountains and rounded the bend beneath the Christmas trees of our childhood.
  2. You can lose all track of time: Ever met a fully grown model railroader who spends countless hours obsessively designing quaint villages, layout tours, wiring track feeders or adding period details to a car?  Need I say more?
  3. Minimal effort, maximum enjoyment: For some, trains give the feeling of leaving for a new world: the rush, speed, intensity, metal-clanging awesomeness flying outside the window as we happily gaze at the sky, fields and occasional piles of cow dung dotting the countryside.
  4. Food taste better aboard a train: Travel writer Beverly Nichols once described his sumptuous lunch aboard the Orient Express as consisting of “crisp rolls and potato mayonnaise, veal and petit pois and slabs of fromage du pays, washed down by white wine drunk from a tumbler.” He concludes there is something seriously wrong with the man who does not enjoy lunch on a train.
  5. Trains can be a great commute: Though PATH has a strict no eating/no drinking policy, and drinking white wine is most definitely unlawful behavior, the experience of riding the PATH in particular, while not perfect, can be a much-needed interlude between work and home and back to work.  The dark tunnels beneath the Hudson and the bright screens of Smart phones lull riders into a semi-hypnotic state making them somewhat oblivious to the outside world. What’s more, PATH trains are cleaner than most mass transit, safe and dependable, and feature silent television screens broadcasting celebrity news and entertainment, including the daily horoscope and Word Scramble, though I don’t know personally anyone clever enough to unscramble any of the words in the brief time allotted.
Posted in daily commute, New Jersey, New York, PATH, Port Authority Trans Hudson, trains, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment