CEDX

LIMBA June 5, 2009 Robert Yaro of the Regional Plan Association

Members and friends, we had the pleasure of welcoming to our June 5^th meeting, Robert Yaro, head of the Regional Plan Association.   Robert gave a talk and engaged in Q & A about the important role that Long Island plays in the tri-state region, and the RPA’s goals for the region in general.  Introducing the RPA to the meeting,  he described its mission as a mix of about 80% NYC regional, and 20% national issues, where the RPA is promulgating the notion of Mega-Regions, linked together by metropolises, such as the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, connected by efficient transportation and telecommunication systems.

Rail, both commuter and high-speed intercity, is an important component of the RPA’s planning toolset.  Founded in 1922 with the goals of improving mobility within the NYC region,  it has expanded its view to meeting global and regional environmental goals  around the transformation of urban and suburban centers.    The RPA’s first plan, published in 1929, envisioned the George Washington and Verrazano Narrows bridges,  JFK Airport,  the Merritt Parkway,  and the Long Island and Palisades Parks and Parkway systems.

The next plan,  of 1968, called for the restoration of mass transit systems, through the creation of the MTA, put forth ideas for open space preservation, and the revitalization of urban areas through the focus on a network of centers, both urban and suburban.

The third plan of 1996, called for seamless mass transit and a greensward network through the region.  It contained concepts for the JFK and Newark AirTrains,  East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal for the LIRR, and the completion of the 2^nd Avenue subway.

In talking about Long Island, it is important to remember that it is tied to NYC, physically, economically, and geo-politically.  The last 50 years of its development has been car-centered, and it needs to refocus on mass transit.  The RPA’s past work for Long Island has involved the Parks and Parkway system, the original concept of a Nassau Hub,  LIRR electrification to Ronkonkoma, and the promotion of East Side Access.  The current work includes continual support for the completion of ESA, the Pine Barrens commission and management plan, along with the newly created Long Island Sound Stewardship Act.

Mr. Yaro described some of Long Island’s assets as an excellent quality of life, safe communities, and a superior education system from elementary through graduate institutions.  A highly skilled workforce,  extraordinary natural beauty,  the nation’s largest commuter rail network and membership in the NY metro economy that is larger than the GDP of many large developed countries round out  the lineup.

The long island paradox, is that there is a brain drain of this skill, and 901 units of government at all levels, one for every 3,000 residents.  He posited that it is the last remaining medieval English system of governance left in the Western Hemisphere.  Long Island is also out of developable land, suffering from job losses, at the mercy of climate change, hamstrung by housing expense, choked by traffic, and is one of the most segregated areas of the United States.

As a non-profit regional think tank, the RPA promotes long-term, regionally centered planning among elected officials, and planning development agencies.  To that end, they have developed Long Island 2035, a vision for Long Island based on the successes of Salt Lake City and Portland, Oregon.  It is a plan to help deal with the expected 460,000 new residents and 250,000 additional jobs.  It is promoting this plan by working with many regional players, such as NYMTC and the Long Island Regional Planning Commission.  Long Island must acknowledge the need for higher density development and get its politicians to develop a regional focus, rather than hold to the traditional parochial ways.  The Empire State Transportation Alliance is an important vehicle to move the plan forward, components of which include the LIRR’s third track program, East Side Access, and regionalizing the balkanized bus systems existing.

Closing with a description of the Nissequogue Action Plan as a blue print for protecting other environmentally significant areas, it contains a set of 110 concrete goals and actions for implementing groups, geared toward incrementally improving the area, which can be replicated across the region.

As usual, the Q&A was pointed, leading off with questioning whether ESA was in jeopardy of not being finished.  Robert’s response was that there’s a paradox, if you don’t finish it, then billions in Federal funds already spent towards its construction must be returned to Washington.  What the real issue is here is the lack of a complete 5 year capital plan.

The RPA’s opinion of the Lighthouse project was asked.  The answer was in general it is a good concept, but incomplete without transit connections.

Once again, another  well spent Friday morning with an engaging speaker that is influential on our daily lives and in the directing of our region.

The Usual Suspects

Dollars to doughnuts, these guys are talking the business of hockey.

Wally and Jen

good night sweet prince

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Guest Commentary on MuniWireless

That tireless promoter of wide access to broadband, the globetrotting Esme Vos, extended a gracious invitation for me to write about the prospects for the Long Island Wi-Fi project, and I used up many bits in responding to her invite.  I tried to put the project in contrast with the work that we have been doing on Fire Island, and in the context of the competitive environment that it faces.  You can try to glean some nuggets from my brain dump at this link, or read the whole thing after the jump:

Lessons Learned from Long and Fire Islands

As our Fire Island Wireless network is closing out its 5^th and most successful season, I would like to share a few things I’ve learned as they apply to the Long Island Wi-Fi project. Even though the plug has not been pulled officially, the writing is on the wall for the Long Island Wi-Fi project, and its an obituary. Cablevision is launching its Optimum Wi-Fi network, offering complimentary access to 2 million wired subscribers over the tri-state area, not just Long Island, and that pretty much dries up any potential paying customers that e-path might have had.

LIRR Penn Station Hotspot Update - Service Call Logged

Managed service fans, hear this.  After a night of consulting in Gotham, I was heading back out to the wilds of Long Island, and decided to see if the hotspot in the LIRR waiting room had been brought back to life.  This time, I couldn't even associate to the network.  The rather grumpy, short-tempered, sharp-tongued, silver-haired customer service fellow didn't believe me when I said there was a wireless network in the waiting room, even when I pointed out the sign.
On the off chance I would have more luck, I went to the customer service office where I had a pleasant conversation with the younger fellow on duty, who indeed knew about the network, and was unaware of anybody having issues.  He was under the impression that few people used it. ( managed services could either confirm or disabuse him of that notion )  However, he did treat my news seriously and logged a service call with the railroad's IT helpdesk.  I won't be back in town this week, I think so if somebody wants to leave a status report in the comments to see if the IT department followed up on the service call, please be so kind.

Remembering my Grandfather

He was an avid White Owl smoker, before they were used for blunts, and I'm sure he nicked this ashtray from the Copa's original incarnation.  Yes, I brought back a Cuban from our Canadian cruise, and found my self missing his brooklynese, and even his Ivanhoe Chewing Tobacco as I set up this little tableau in my backyard.  I split a couple logs and put up a nice fire to keep the bugs away, will take a little night dip in the pool, and leisurely enjoy this Montecristo #2 while thinking of my Popy, who would have been over the moon with my kids, had he kept on long enough to meet them.

The Great Peconic Bay Marina Joins

The latest customer of the CEDX wi-fi network is The Great Peconic Bay Marina, located in South Jamesport, New York, on the beautiful North Fork of Long Island.  Access is complimentary to slip owners, who will be given a username and password by marina administration.  We are very happy to have The Great Peconic as part of our network, and look forward to a long relationship and smooth sailing.

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LIRR Penn Station Wi-Fi Derailed, or In Praise of Managed Services

On the way back from a holiday, the fam and I stopped in Penn Station to catch our train back home.  Proud of myself for being completely off the grid for 5 days, I could hold out no longer, and wanted to see what email delights awaited me.  Having used the hotspot in the waiting room once before, I opened my laptop, connected to the LIRR_HOTSPOT_11G network, got an IP address, and... nothing.  Turns out, name resolution was not functioning.  Of course there's no way to let the railroad management know this, other than this blog post, but somebody needs to reboot the little netgear router they have running the thing.

When you offer a service, it better work, otherwise people get pissed, because they plan their movements around it sometimes.  Trust me, I've had earfuls from users expecting a malfunctioning hotspot to work.  It's like the plumbing, when it works, nobody notices, but when it's broken, all hell breaks loose.   Part of the issue with wi-fi in places is its unmanaged nature.  Things break, software and systems hang occasionally, and somebody or something needs to be on the lookout for when bad things happen and something needs a kick to get it started again.  Unfortunately, the massive number of independent venues don't get this, and it seems the railroad needs to be reminded of it too.  I'd be happy to manage the spot, keep it running, and even post some PSA's or do advertising.  Simply making sure the service is working as advertised will make folks a lot happier and less angry at the railroad.

Supporting the Entrepreneurial Spirit

My friend Pam, owner of Klatch Coffee Bar on Maiden Lane in Lower Manhattan, and her husband JC, have started a summer program for budding entrepreneurs, building a a coffee bar in donated space at the South Street Seaport. 
The locations of both coffee bars are on the map below, and the press release is after the jump.

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Long Island Wi-Fi project update

Things are looking grim for the bi-county wi-fi project.  In this Newsday article, where I get the last word, and the followups on MuniWireless and Wifinetnews, the coup de grace may be administered by the combination of e-Path's classification of what kind of company it is, and the cost of pole rental to that classification.  Ugh.   I had no idea pole costs were so high for a non-telecom classification.  Reid Epstein also has another couple of nuggets in there that were news to me.  In the county budget for last year, $200K was allocated for the RFP, which I thought was outrageous,  but in the article, he reports a spend of a more reasonable $60K.

The whole business model there is shaky, especially with the outdoor network, and the two entrenched incumbents on the island providing fixed services, plus cellular data availability.  The network envisioned is in a no-man's land, where it won't have the performance to compete with wired offerings, or the coverage to compete with existing cellular mobility.  It was doomed from day one, and the thing that really cheeses me off is that it froze the market for individual municipalities to deploy their own nets, with them waiting two years to see if there really was a free lunch out there.  We had substantive discussions underway with a few villages, but these evaporated once this wacky plan came along. 

We are able to thrive on Fire Island because we can compete against DSL on price and performance, and we collect normal amounts of revenue for providing what has become an essential commodity in a niche market.  Now that we have a substantial existing customer base, we can use those cash flows to build higher tiers of service to take us beyond our current offerings into higher performance services, where it will be possible to support VoIP, adding another revenue stream.

Somebody should just put this dog out of its misery.