Thousands of Connecticut commuters should brace for travel chaos on Monday as Metro-North workers repair damage on the United States’ busiest rail line caused by the collision of two trains, officials warned on Sunday.

Lengthy detours and hours of traffic backups were likely as many train commuters take to the road, officials said. The Friday derailment of a Metro-North passenger train that struck a commuter train between Fairfield and Bridgeport, Conn., injured more than 70 people and halted full service on the line indefinitely.

The Monday commute will be “extremely challenging and I am activating the state’s Emergency Management System. There will be serious disruptions all week, and I would encourage anyone who can, to stay home, if possible,” Governor Dannel Malloy told a news conference.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation was preparing a plan to assist commuters. The agency, Malloy and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, urged people to make alternate plans.

“I’m really in the same boat as everyone else, as I plan to head down to Washington to make it clear to the White House that I am deeply concerned about our nation’s railway infrastructure,” Blumenthal said.

“This accident shows that safety cannot be compromised, and is going to cost tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. We need to find the problems before they lead to accidents like this one.”

Malloy said 30,000 daily commuters will be seriously affected on Monday and likely the entire week.

The site of the crash is about 50 miles northeast of New York. Metro-North train service between New Haven and South Norwalk is indefinitely suspended.

Service by Amtrak, the U.S. passenger rail service, also has been suspended indefinitely. Officials reiterated on Sunday that they did not know when service would be restored.

The New York-New Haven line is the busiest rail line in the country, serving 125,000 commuters a day, said Judd Everhart, a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Regular service will run from the Stamford station and South Norwalk station to Grand Central Terminal in New York. Limited service will run from Westport.

Morning commuter train service would run every 20 minutes from New Haven to Bridgeport on the New Haven commuter line, the state Department of Transportation said.

Two buses will run from Bridgeport to Stamford Station, bypassing the site of the accident.

Earl Weener, a board member for the National Transportation Safety Board, told the news conference the agency was finishing its probe of the crash site and would turn it over to Metro-North on Sunday.

All the train cars have been removed, recording devices recovered and crews were being interviewed, he said.

Weener said hundreds of pounds of track had been sent to the NTSB laboratory in Washington. The track includes a section of fractured rail that may have caused the accident or been damaged by it.

“But it will take a significant amount of time to repair the tracks,” he said.

State transportation officials said that more than 2,000 feet of track must be repaired and replaced.

Of the more than 70 passengers and crew members injured, eight remained hospitalized on Sunday. Three were in critical condition, officials said.

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Yale University has been fined $165,000 by the Department of Education for failing to report sexual assaults that occur on campus, according to a Business Insider report.

Yale allegedly did not report four “forcible sex offenses” in 2001 and 2002. Additionally, the school did not explain its policies for alerting students about crimes that occur on campus.

The Clery Act mandates that any school where students get federal financial aid must report crimes on campus yearly.

The DOE investigation into Yale was prompted by a 2004 piece by a law school graduate in the alumni magazine.

The writer, Emily Bazelon, recounted an incident in 2001 when a female Yale sophomore was pinned down by a male junior in a dorm room. The sophomore said “stop” and “don’t do this” while he masturbated on her. Yale’s “sexual harassment grievance board” confronted the junior after she reported the assault, and the junior confessed, but the school never included it in its Clery report.

Bazelon pointed out that this lack of reporting could be responsible for Yale’s low number of sex offenses relative to other Ivy League schools. Yale reported five sex offenses between 2000 and 2002. In the same period, Harvard reported 80 and Princeton reported 29.

In 2001, Yale reported 20 sex offenses.

In response to the $165,000 DOE fine, Yale told the New Haven Register that the school “fully supports the Department of Education’s mandate under the Clery Act and believes that student safety is of paramount importance.”

But they added that because the violations happened several years ago, the “imposition of maximum fines is not warranted.”

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Parents and teachers at schools in Dyker Heights are apparently fearful for their children’s safety around local motorists, according to a report from Brooklyn Daily.

Vincent D. Grippo Elementary School principal Jayne Marie Capatenakis recounted an incident several years ago that resulted in a student losing a foot after being struck by a car at 65th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway.

And Grippo at least has a crossing guard at Ninth Avenue: as a middle school, nearby Christa Mcauliffe  Intermediate School on 65th Street between 10th and 11th avenues is ineligible for crossing guards.

Christa Mcauliffe assistant principal Bill Nicoll said that cars have struck two students in the past year and a half alone, though both survived.

“You’ll have people who can tell we’re having a fire drill, and they’re beeping the horn at us, yelling, ‘Hey, get out of the way’,” Nicoll said.

Fire drills are also problematic for Grippo, according to Capatenakis, where people often try to pull sudden U-turns.

Since they can’t get crossing guards, Nicoll reportedly asked the Department of Transportation for “No U-Turn” signs, speedbumps, flashing lights, and a four-way stop near the school to try to slow reckless drivers.

“What we get is they’re ‘doing studies,’” Nicoll said. “A study does me no good.”

“I know we don’t want to disrupt the flow of traffic, but I think that’s a small price to pay for saving a kid’s life someday,” he added.

A Department of Transportation spokesperson reportedly told Brooklyn Daily that the DOT is looking into options like repainting the lanes and creating left turn bays along the roadway between Ninth and 13th avenues.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Brooklyn parents, teachers fear local drivers appeared first on Metro.us.

A second Chinatown bus company was shut down Friday after federal investigators discovered numerous safety violations that they claimed posed an “imminently hazardous and potentially deadly situation.”

Ming An Inc., which operated buses from New York to about two dozen southern cities, hired drivers without a commercial license, failed to test its drivers for drugs and alcohol, and did not require its drivers to keep log books or conduct safety inspections, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The company’s drivers also frequently received speeding tickets.

“We are committed to removing unsafe bus and truck companies,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “We will not let up and we will not slow down.”

A person answering the phone Sunday at Ming An’s offices declined to comment.

Earlier this month, the DOT similarly shuttered Fung Wah Bus Transportation, which operated buses from New York to Boston.

The post Another Chinatown bus company shut down appeared first on Metro.us.

The fast-food chain has come under fire several times this year for its financial contributions to conservative groups like Focus On The Family, Exodus International and the Family Research Council, which critics say promote anti-gay agendas.

Chick-Fil-A was even the target of a hoax that sent the internet into a frenzy when a fake hiring flier for the NYU location was uploaded, which said the restaurant reserved the right to question the sexual preferences of applicants.

Now, the embattled chicken chain is once again in the headlines after news that the Jim Hensen Company, famous for its Muppet characters, decided to end a partnership with Chick-Fil-A, which provided Muppet toys for kids meals. The decision came after Chick-fil-A’s president, Dan Cathy said the company was “guilty as charged” in its support for the “traditional family.”

“The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors.  Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD,” the company said in a statement Friday.

In another twist, Chick-Fil-A then issued a “voluntary recall” of all the Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Puppet Kids Meal toys due to a “possible safety issue,” according to the company.

A flier posted on the window of a Chick-fil-A location stated, “There have not been any cases in which a child has actually been injured, however there have been some reports of children getting their fingers stuck in the holes of the puppets.”

The company is denying that the voluntary recall had anything to do with the Jim Henson Company’s decision to end its partnership with Chick-Fil-A.

“I can tell you that the two issues are unrelated,” Chick-Fil-A spokesperson Tiffany Greenway told Metro. “We have no additional statement.”

The post Chick-Fil-A and the Muppets part ways in questionable split appeared first on Metro.us.

Cribs: Drop-side cribs can no longer be sold, and a newer, safer generation of cribs is now on the market. Even if an older crib looks safe, it may not have been tested with the most recent safety standards or could have loose or missing hardware, creating gaps that could trap a child.

Baby walkers: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against using baby walkers altogether, as they can actually delay walking. If you do choose to use one, stick to new models. Older walkers may not have features that can prevent the product from rolling down stairs, which is the biggest risk.

Car seats: A used car seat that isn’t up to safety standards or is missing parts may not protect your child in a crash, and there’s no way to be sure that the seat wasn’t involved in a previous accident — something that may have led to invisible damage.

Parents brings moms and dads smart, fresh advice to help you raise healthy, happy kids. Check us out at Parents.com.

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Windchill: 32°F and up
Verdict: It’s safe to play outside.
Safety tip: Dress your child in layers, with a hat and mittens or gloves (and watch big kids, who may ditch their coats). Babies and young toddlers develop hypothermia faster than older children, so bundle them in one layer more than you would wear.

Windchill: 13° to 31°F
Verdict: Be cautious.
Safety tip: It’s okay for your kid to be out. But watch for signs that he or she’s too cold, such as shivering or fatigue, and take indoor breaks every 20 to 30 minutes to warm up. Your kid’s body temperature will drop much faster if he or she gets wet, so swap soggy gloves and hats for dry ones.

Windchill: Below 13°F
Verdict: It’s unsafe for outdoor play.
Safety tip: Keep him or her inside today. As the windchill factor approaches 0°F, there’s a serious risk of frostbite.

The post Guide for when it’s too cold for kids to play outdoors appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Medications should be stored in a secured area — out of sight and reach of children and teenagers — that has low humidity, a stable temperature and adequate lighting.

2. Check the date on everything in your medicine cabinet and dispose of anything that has passed the expiration date.

3. Dispose of anything you have not used n the past 12 months or that you no longer need. Do not share medications with others.

4. Dispose of medicines that are no longer in their original container, have changed color or odor, or that can no longer be identified.

5. Do not flush unused or expired medications, and do not pour them down a sink or drain. They should be disposed of properly in the household trash or through your community’s medication disposal program, when available.

The post Make your home safer in 2012 appeared first on Metro.us.

The airspace between 1,000 and 1,300 feet was accessible only to private planes, the FAA decreed, hoping to avoid future midair collisions.

But a loophole was created a year later, the New York Post reported yesterday, when the FAA allowed tour helicopters to enter at two separate places within that airspace.

The news comes on the heels of a helicopter crash last week, which killed one woman. Local officials have criticized the tourist choppers, saying they clog the skies with frivolous, and potentially dangerous, sightseeing flights.

Now, tour choppers can climb above 1,000 feet by entering through corridors at the Statue of Liberty and the Boat Basin on West 79th Street.

The newspaper reported that a “letter of agreement” was signed between five chopper tour companies and two FAA officials.

Jeffery Smith, chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, told the Post that higher choppers are less of a headache to residents complaining about noise.

Chopper loophole angers pilots

Both FAA bigwigs and private pilots in Manhattan are furious over the newly revealed loophole.
“You have hundreds of helicopters flying up and down through that airspace, and nobody knows about it,” Manhattan pilot Ken Paskar told the Post. “It’s insane.”

Private plane pilots have not even been warned about the oncoming choppers, according to the report.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro.

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The vigilance campaign has been drilled into the heads of the traveling public, and it’s just one of the many security measures that have been enacted since shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.

While security officials and law enforcement attribute those measures to making the traveling public safer, not everyone sees the benefit of every program enacted.

“The executive branch has taken advantage of our technological revolution and … in the atmosphere of continued fear-mongering, Congress has not only failed to curb the executive violations, but has ratified them,” said Hina Shamsi, the director of the national security project for the American Civil Liberties Union. “In the 10 years since, the reality is: For all of the resources and our national treasury that has been spent on surveillance, there is no objective evidence that we are safer.”

The ACLU has continually scrutinized various programs put in place after the 9/11 attacks.

Most recently it has filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit against the government for what it said is a failure to release documents about the FBI’s nationwide system of collecting and sharing reports from local and state agencies about “vague and expansively defined suspicious activity.”

It also sued on behalf of U.S. citizens on the “no fly” list, and three years ago lost an attempt to sue against the Bush Administration’s warrantless wiretapping program.

For Donald Hafner, a political science professor at Boston College whose teaching field includes national security, the issue goes beyond the question of privacy.

“You used to visit government buildings in Washington or go watch Congress in session … now we have concrete barriers around buildings,” Hafner said. “Maybe it is stranger to think of a world in which that didn’t exist. The psychological impact on American society is something not to be dismissed.”

While some measures have proven worthy, Hafner said, others might not be worth their price.
“We are safe, but we are doing a lot of things which are costly and a fair number of things probably which are not justified and have not contributed to our domestic security,” Hafner said.

For those in charge of ensuring the safety of travelers, the changes in security over the last 10 years have proved worth it.

Despite the outcries from organizations and the public when body imaging scanners were introduced or other methods were implemented, officials said it’s an issue of education.

“Once we educate people on what we’re doing, they’ll understand why we’re doing it,” said George Naccara, the Transportation Safety Administration’s federal security director for Massachusetts.
“Improved security education and outreach, sending the proper message — all of that is important.”
Naccara said in a recent interview that he feels Logan Airport, which served as the launching point for the two planes that eventually crashed into the World Trade Center towers, is “unequivocally” safer than 10 years ago.

He attributes that to personnel training and technology, like the eventual adaptation of electronic analysis that would utilize software to pull up a traveler’s flight history and criminal record and send that information to the checkpoint to assess the risk.

“That thought has always kept the leadership of the airport focused,” he said. “The leaders here have never forgotten what happened here and have vowed to never have that happen again.”

The post Post 9/11, are we any safer? appeared first on Metro.us.

A 40-year-old Illinois woman was pulled out of the Hudson River during the swimming portion of the race Sunday. It is believed she went into cardiac arrest twice, during and after the 1.5 kilometer swim.
She was hospitalized and died yesterday morning.

Her death comes after a 64-year-old man died Sunday, also during the swim. Michael Kudryk, of Freehold, N.J., was pulled out of the Hudson River unconscious and is thought to have died from a heart attack.

“This is horrifying,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer when news of the second fatality broke. “We can’t ignore this.”

Stringer is demanding race organizers do a “top-to-bottom” review of the competition’s safety protocol.

He also questioned the decision to go ahead with Sunday’s race despite the muggy conditions.

“The heat may have contributed to this,” said Stringer. “We need to review whether this triathlon is taking place in the appropriate month. Would it be smart to move it to the spring or the fall?”

But Triathlon director Bill Burke said the triathlons are usually held in the summer because that’s when Hudson River currents flow with -— not against -— the swimmers. That’s also when the river is warmest.

“It starts in the early morning during the coolest part of the day,” said Burke, adding that when the race started, both the air and water temperatures were in the 70s. But Burke did not say he would do a nuts-to-bolts safety review.

The post With two dead, safety overhaul asked of race appeared first on Metro.us.

According to city law, landlords must install window guards if a child 10 years old or younger lives in the building.

The Department of Health fielded 37,148 window guard violations from 2007 to 2009. They then  directed the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to follow up. Yet, after looking at a sample — 632 — of those violations, Liu found that HPD closed nearly half of them, 288, without ever verifying with the tenant that bars were indeed installed. An HPD spokesman said inspectors did indeed return to check — they just weren’t always allowed in by tenants.

Follow Carly Baldwin on Twitter @CarlyatMetro.

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