Archive for July, 2007

Subway ridership levels at 54-year peak

Tuesday, July 24th, 2007

Hands reach up the poles in a crowded subway car. (Photo by flickr user eszter)
Did you know that the subways are crowded? Because that’s what the MTA announced yesterday.
According to the MTA, ridership in the New York City subway system is at a 54-year high. In May, 138 million straphangers paid for the privilege of [...]

Straphangers report cards name 1 the top, C and W the worst

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

When speaking about the best subway line in the city, it’s all relative. Which line arrives generally on time, is fairly clean and features mostly audible announcements?
The winner this year, according to the Straphangers Campaign newest State of the Subways Report Cardin the race to mediocrity is the 1 train. The worst trains are [...]

The No. 1 is No. 1

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

The Straphangers Campaign has released their annual State of the Subways Report Card, and the 1 train is their number 1 train. I’ll have a rundown of the survey results later on tonight.

MTA likely to implement ’08 fare hike

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

Remember how Eliot Spitzer, during his campaign for governor, said that an MTA fare and toll hike would come about only a last resort? Well, get ready for that last resort.
News reports indicate that, when the MTA announces its proposed 2008 budget this Wednesday, fare hikes will be a part of the deal. Pete [...]

Officials break ground on Yankee Stadium Metro-North stop

Sunday, July 22nd, 2007

It’s hard to believe that this whole new Yankee Stadium thing is actually happening. I’ve been going to Yankee games for my whole life at Yankee Stadium; my dad has been going to games at Yankee Stadium for his entire life. But come January 2009, the Yanks will be playing in some other stadium called [...]

MTA service changes go into effect after Harry Potter release

Friday, July 20th, 2007

What a week, huh?
We had the ups and downs, the deaths and reincarnations of congestion pricing. In between the politicking surrounding the congestion fee, the city’s steam pipes started exploding again. I picked an exciting week to head west for vacation.
Meanwhile, this week goes out with a bang tonight as at midnight, the literary [...]

Congestion pricing deal relieves MTA CEO

Friday, July 20th, 2007

At 1:50 p.m. yesterday, the MTA breathed a sigh of relief. For now, it seems, there is a flicker of hope for the financial future of the city’s transportation authority. This relief came in the form of four words from State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno: “We have a deal.”
This deal, of course, concerns [...]

Left for dead, congestion fee lives

Thursday, July 19th, 2007

Live from a Blackberry at LAX, it’s the return of the congestion fee.
When last we saw the congestion fee plan, it was dead in the water, and New York had just lost out on $500 million from the feds. Well, the funeral may have bee premature. As Streetsblog summarizes, the congestion fee plans are alive [...]

Lexington Ave. steam explosion to mess with the Thursday commute

Thursday, July 19th, 2007

This destruction on Lexington Ave. is going to wreck havoc with the morning commute. (Photo by Peter Foley of the European Pressphoto Agency)
Mid-Day Update: The MTA announced shortly after the end of rush hour this morning that all trains are now stopping at Grand Central Terminal. Shuttle service has been restored as well. However, as [...]

If you see something on TV, say something

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

Everyone loves the MTA’s security campaigns. They’re great for everything from funny pictures of dogs and ad campaign knock-offs to cheesy MTA-related blog headlines to graffiti (such as the doctored poster I saw once that said “Bush is still president, say something”).
Now, the MTA is expanded the “see something, say something” ad campaign out of [...]