Friday, January 28, 2011

Cemusa needs to get with the shoveling program


From Fox 5:

There is a contract controversy between New York City and the company that is supposed to clean the snow from local bus stops.

The city has a contract with a company that builds and maintains bus stops. The company pays the city for the rights to supply the shelters and earn advertising dollars in return. But part of the contract includes snow removal, but the snow keeps piling up in front of many bus stops.

Several feet of snow barricade the bus shelter, not just in Queens, but at bus stops across the city. It's a situation that' not just dangerous. It's in violation of the city's contract with a company that has a contract for the bus shelters. One city councilman is calling on the company to do its job or face a formal inquiry.

Domenic Recchia says, "I believe millions could be refunded back to the city because they're not living up to their contract, but more importantly, who is overseeing it, what's going on, and maybe they don't want the contract anymore."

According to the contract, the company is supposed to shovel three feet around the bus shelters to people can get to the bus. Footprints show where people have to make a path through the snow, just to get to where they're going. It's been a common complaint at the city's blizzard hearings. They're supposed to clear shelters within four hours after the snow stops. But time and again, they have failed.

The company could be found in breach of contract with the city. The contract earns the city $1.4 billion.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

1.4 BILLION Dollar contract... Wonderful, just wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Go after the company > to do what the contract states.

Anonymous said...

"The company could be found in breach of contract with the city. The contract earns the city $1.4 billion."

If I read correctly, the city is being PAID $1.4 billion, not paying it. No wonder the company doesn't want to spend more money to clear the snow.

Anonymous said...

I believe Cemusa subcontracts all of the maintenance of the shelters. Saw a company named DynaServ Industries, Inc performing snow and cleaning. DynaServ must not be performing the job properly, Cemusa should hold DynaServ accountable.

Detective McNutty said...

I was walking by the corner of Broadway and 21st Street (Astoria) and saw the DSNY cleaning the bus stop. Why are Sanitation men doing the job if Cemusa is responsible for the cleanup?

Anonymous said...

DOS shouldn't, but if they don't. who will?

Anonymous said...

they must have read this site,for i just observed a crew from this company shoveling the snow away at the f.lewis.blvd. at 26th avenue bus stop.sat./3pm.

Anonymous said...

If I have read this correctly...and the article really isn't clear...Cemusa is paid to clear the Bus Stops where there are "Bus Shelters"

Considering that not all Bus Stops have shelters who is responsible for clearing the snow from the others. The MTA? The DOT? because whoever that is they aren't living up to their responsibilies either!

Anonymous said...

If this company CemUSA is responsible to shovel 3 feet and I have seen that the shelters have been shoveled (how can snow even get under the shelters since they have tops? If the plow causes mountains of 6 feet it seems like the company is doing what they r contracted to do. Shouldnt the city be shoveling paths thru the mountains that the sanitation companies are making if these mountains are 3 feet past the shelters who is responsible for that?

Anonymous said...

The drawings that have been submitted to the City do not reflect the actual bus shelters on the city’s streets. In most instances less material (thinner, weaker and cheaper) were used and the modifications were not approved by STV nor were they studied or calculated by professional engineers. These structures were erected on the streets without STVs approval and against the warnings of Cemusa’s engineer(s).

The side glass panels and connections of those panels into the vertical columns, roof glass panels, and their connections to the aluminum roof extrusion components were all altered without the approval of STV. Stainless steel roof arms, roof design in general, as well as brackets, fasteners, bolts and other connection components were either altered or eliminated without approval by STV. Low-grade (non-industrial grade) silicone was used to support glass components including the side glass panels. This silicone degrades during extreme hot days and extreme cold days. Cemusa decided to stop using critical brackets that connect heavy components to each other. Lead carrying components were attached to columns with less than two full threads. In late 2007 and early 2008 Cemusa was warned in writing about potential personal injury due to bottom metal portion of the bus shelters collapsing, resulting in falling glass panels. Upper management was told that the heavy glass panels could dislodge from the bus shelters and shatter onto pedestrians.

It is believed that most of these violations were never corrected.