Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Tuesday, December 21, 1999

Release #495-99

Contact: Sunny Mindel/ Edward Skyler (212) 788-2958 (212) 788-2958



MAYOR GIULIANI OUTLINES CITY'S Y2K PREPARATIONS

Public Utilities and Transportation Authorities Detail Their Y2K Readiness

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today announced that the City's computer systems are ready for the January 1, 2000. Deputy Mayor for Operations Joseph J. Lhota, Year 2000 Director Brian T. Cohen; Department of Information and Telecommunications Commissioner Allan H. Dobrin; Police Commissioner Howard Safir; and Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen as well as representatives from utilities and transportation authorities such as Con Edison, Bell Atlantic, the Port Authority and the New York City Transit Authority, joined the Mayor for the City Hall announcement.

"New York City's Y2K preparations began in 1996 and have required every City agency to test and correct their computer systems," Mayor Giuliani said. "We have developed comprehensive contingency plans for the days surrounding New Year's Eve and have devoted significant resources to informing New Yorkers about potential Y2K problems and what action the City has taken to prepare itself. New York City has become a nationally recognized leader in Year 2000 readiness and I anticipate a smooth transition into the new Millennium."

Eugene R. McGrath, Chairman, President, and CEO of Con Edison, said, "Con Edison is committed to providing all of its customers with the same reliable energy services they have come to expect and deserve as we welcome the new Millennium. We have been preparing for Y2K for more than five years and we are ready. There will be an additional 1,500 Con Edison men and women working that night, prepared to respond quickly to any event on our system."

Robert B. Catell, CEO of Keyspan, said, "Keyspan Energy has been engaged in Y2K preparations since the middle of 1996, and we consider our systems Y2K ready. We are confident that we have met the challenges posed by Y2K and expect to provide our customers with their customary high level of gas and electric service as we enter the new millennium."

Joseph P. Castellano, President of Network and Corporate Systems for Bell Atlantic, said, "Bell Atlantic has spent more than 3 years and $400 million preparing for the Year 2000. We believe that January 1 will be just another day on our network."

Lawrence G. Reuter, President of the New York City Transit Authority, said, "We are well prepared to be the principal source of transportation for people attending Millenium events in New York City. The best advice is to leave your private automobiles at home."

Robert E. Boyle, the Executive Director of the Port Authority said, "The Port Authority is ready for New Year's Eve and the Y2K rollover. We have been preparing for this since 1997. Every system has been checked and re-checked at JFK, Newark and LaGuardia Airports, the World Trade Center, PATH and all our other facilities. Port Authority Facilities will be open and operating on a normal Friday night schedule."

Since 1996, the City's Year 2000 Project office has been overseeing the City's Y2K remediation efforts. The City has spent over $350 million to test, fix, and, where necessary, replace the City's critical computer systems. 672 computer applications were declared critical and high priority and 65 million lines of code were analyzed; 10,000 personal computers were replaced and 50,000 new computers were purchased. In addition, the City's six most critical systems, 911, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, the Traffic System, Water Delivery and Medical Equipment, have been repeatedly tested to ensure Y2K compliance.

By this fall, all of the City's agencies and critical systems were certified as Y2K compliant. This was verified by Year 2000 simulations in which the City's systems continued to operate as expected, and by an independent audit performed by three teams of private sector specialists.

In early 1998, the Office of Emergency Management began working with City agencies and consultants to develop comprehensive Y2K contingency plans. These plans will help ensure that the critical public safety services that the City of New York provides will continue to function in any eventuality. Recently, OEM contingency planning has helped the City prepare for Hurricane Floyd and the possibility of a transit strike.

New York City was the driving force in establishing a tri-state Y2K task force that has planned and coordinated Y2K efforts in our region. The task force includes representatives from the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, the Port Authority, and the major utilities servicing our area.

Beginning on December 30, the City's Emergency Command Center will be open 24 hours-a-day to allow City personnel to monitor possible Y2K-related events and coordinating the response. The center will be staffed by City personnel as well as representatives from utilities, transportation authorities, the securities and banking industry, and technology vendors.

The City has conducted a comprehensive public awareness effort to educate New Yorkers about Y2K. In the fall, Y2K "town hall" meetings were held in every borough. A website www.nyc.gov/y2kinfo containing detailed information about the City's Y2K readiness went online, and, for those without access to computers, a 24-hour Y2K telephone hotline, (888) 4NYC-Y2K, was launched.

In addition, palm cards offering Y2K information in five languages were printed and nearly three million copies of the brochure "Preparing to meet the Challenges of Y2K" were distributed around New York - including to over one million school children. The City produced a Y2K public awareness video that is being broadcast on Crosswalks which answers some of the common concerns about the potential Y2K problem.

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