Carolina Worrell

Metropolitan Transportation Authority says that Metro-North Railroad has completed 14 of the 27 safety measures either mandated or suggested in the Federal Railroad Administration’s review of its operations earlier this year. The railroad says it has made progress on five of the measures and has a plan for eight more. Photo by Sue Pearsall Tracking Safety: Metro-North Railroad has completed 14 of the 27 safety measures either mandated or suggested in the Federal Railroad Administrations review of its operations, MTA says. Steps taken since last December include train speed reductions, automated track inspections and cab cameras, MTA says in a

The overall decline in the public sector took a toll on many of the New York region's design firms last year, some of which were still trying to dig their way out of the recession. The greatest demand for design services in the sector has been and is expected to continue to be fueled by numerous multi-year transportation projects and Superstorm Sandy-related work, executives say. On the private side, signs of life have returned, especially in the residential, commercial and higher education markets, they add. Related Links: 2014 Top Design Firms Ranking 2012 Top Design Firms: Moving Forward With Caution

Each of the 10 winners of ENR New England's second annual Top Young Professionals competition impressed the judges with a multitude of leadership skills.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a series of community-driven rebuilding proposals aimed at helping storm-battered cities, towns and villages throughout New York become more resilient. Under the state’s Rising Community Reconstruction Program (NYRCR), eligible communities affected by hurricanes Sandy and Irene as well as Tropical Storm Lee may receive up to $25 million for rebuilding and revitalization efforts. Photo Courtesy of the Governor's Office New York Rising: The program, which was established by Gov. Cuomo in April 2013, received more than 700 rebuilding project proposals. The program, which Cuomo established in April 2013, received more than 700 project proposals, “and

New York City construction spending reached $29.3-billion in 2013, up 6% from 2012, and helped by growth in the government sector, according to a new New York Building Congress (NYBC) study. Rendering Courtesy of New York City Economic Development Corp. Measuring Units: The Hunter's Point South project's 941 units greatly contributed to the rise in building permits issued in Queens last year. Government spending accounted for $13.7 billion, or 47% of construction spending last year, the study says. That is only a slight increase from the $13.4 billion spent in 2012. Spending in this sector peaked in 2008 at $16.3-billion,

The New York State Thruway Authority is withholding up to $1 million in project progress payments to Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC), the design-build team on the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, due to several instances of construction barges becoming loose at the site. Image Courtesy of The New York State Thruway Authority Dredging Up: Work on the new two-span bridge began last October and is scheduled for completion by 2018. “Until TZC delivers a contractually required corrective action plan that can be reviewed and approved” by its project team, the Thruway Authority will withhold the funds as allowed under contract, the

The joint venture team of developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group broke ground yesterday, March 19, on the $700-million eastern platform over active rail lines on Manhattan's West Side. The platform, part of the massive Hudson Yards redevelopment site, follows the start last December of another project at the site, the 80-story North Tower, 30 Hudson Yards. Rendering Courtesy of Related-Oxford Rising High: The Hudson Yards redevelopment site is expected to take about 10-12 years to complete. The size of the entire mixed-use site grew last year with the addition of 50 and 55 Hudson Yards located between 33rd

The $35.7-million project will also include raising electrical equipment up to the 500-year flood level. Rendering Courtesy of Hazen and Sawyer Powering Up: Arcadis and Hazen & Sawyer will construct three electrical unit substations at the plant. Related Links: ENR New York The Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant in Nassau County, N.Y., is set to begin work in May on a $35.7-million project to build three electrical unit substations. The design-bid-build project, headed by the joint venture team of Hazen & Sawyer and Arcadis U.S., is targeting completion in March 2016, says Eric Mills, senior associate at Hazen & Sawyer.Work

The team working on the plant's wet-weather pumping station upgrade consists of general contractor Tomar Construction, East Brunswick, N.J., and the Piscataway, N.J. office of electrical, structural and civil engineer AECOM. Work includes replacing electrical distribution equipment and switchgear and synchronous motor controllers, which will be replaced with low-maintenance controllers. The team will also service three wet-weather pump motors off site. Photo Courtesy of PVSC Doubling Up: Work will take place at the Newark plant's effluent pumping station and its wet weather pumping station. Related Links: ENR New York Work is expected to begin in "about two months," says John