MTA Dumps CityTime from subway radio overhaul project

[MNCRR9000]

Came across this article in the New York Post yesterday morning. The MTA is dumping SAIC from the CityTime radio system overhaul project.

The MTA has dumped the infamous CityTime contractor from a plan to overhaul the subway system's radio equipment.

Top brass at the agency said they were no longer comfortable doing business with SAIC, because Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli put a stop on the contract and said he needed a series of questions answered first before he approved it.

But consultants linked to the company are currently embroiled in a criminal probe, and the MTA said that due to that they weren't sure when they could answer DiNapoli's questions.

The MTA board approved the $118 million contract last month, saying they were confident that SAIC was not involved in any wrongdoing.

Now, the MTA will re-bid the contract.

The MTA has until 2012 to get the new radio system up and running, or else face fines from the FCC of $1 million per day.

Link to the article:http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mta_ ... ue0NX316zH

Moderators: Feel free to move this to the railroad communications forum if it is more appropriate there.

[JoshKarpoff]

Just to clarify some points:
The contractor being dumped is SAIC, a company best known for its defense contracting work.
They are the company managing the city government's project to have a unified time clock and payroll system, CityTime, which thanks to criminal behavior on the part of some of SAIC's employees, has gone from the usual government software project SNAFUs to become a downright debacle.

The MTA had given SAIC the contract to build out their new radio system, as mandated by the FCC (problems with interoperability with the new police and fire radio systems). SAIC had won the bid and the MTA awarded it, over the objections of the city's comptroller (who doesn't get a say in MTA operations). Less than a week later, several SAIC employees were arrested for systematically defrauding the city. The state's comptroller, DiNapoli, then stepped in and halted the awarding of the contract.

[MNCRR9000]

Just to clarify some points:
The contractor being dumped is SAIC, a company best known for its defense contracting work.
They are the company managing the city government's project to have a unified time clock and payroll system, CityTime, which thanks to criminal behavior on the part of some of SAIC's employees, has gone from the usual government software project SNAFUs to become a downright debacle.

The MTA had given SAIC the contract to build out their new radio system, as mandated by the FCC (problems with interoperability with the new police and fire radio systems). SAIC had won the bid and the MTA awarded it, over the objections of the city's comptroller (who doesn't get a say in MTA operations). Less than a week later, several SAIC employees were arrested for systematically defrauding the city. The state's comptroller, DiNapoli, then stepped in and halted the awarding of the contract.

Thanks for the clarification Josh. That makes sense now I thought it was a little strange that a radio system would be named CityTime. Maybe it was just me but the New York Post article was a little confusing.

[JoshKarpoff]

No problem. I too found that NY Post article to be less than clear. I'd been following the issue in the press, mostly from PIX11 News's Greg Mocker, who while a little...exuberant... in his coverage, does know what he's talking about and can present it in a clear manner.