Transit

Funding for New York City's Fair Fares program, which offers a 50 percent discount on subway and bus trips for low-income New Yorkers, has been secured annually for the first time ever. Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams on Monday announced an agreement to baseline $75 million in funding for the program for the upcoming fiscal year 2023 budget. Fair Fares was originally funded at $106 million in 2020, but pandemic-related budget cuts reduced funding for the program to just over $40 million.
Details here

MTA to roll out fare-capping pilot program for OMNY this month

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

February 8, 2022

MTA to roll out fare-capping pilot program for OMNY this month

In an effort to get riders back on the New York City subway system, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has introduced a pilot fare-capping program that they believe will be "more affordable, more flexible, and more fair." Starting on February 28, subway or bus riders who use the OMNY contactless payment system 12 times within a seven-day period will be automatically upgraded to an unlimited pass for the rest of that week. The fare-capping program will last for at least four months.
See more here

NYC commission withholds support for Hochul’s plan to rebuild Penn Station

Rendering courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

February 2, 2022

NYC commission withholds support for Hochul’s plan to rebuild Penn Station

Gov. Kathy Hochul's massive redevelopment plan of Penn Station hit a roadblock last week. The City Planning Commission said it will withhold support for Hochul's new transit hub due to uncertainties over funding and a lack of improvement to transit and the public realm. Before the city recommends its full support, the project's planners must resolve these issues, as the commission wrote in a letter to the Empire State Development Corporation.
Details here

NYC-area transit agencies seek ways to restore ridership post-Covid

Image courtesy of Patrick Cashin / MTA New York City Transit

February 1, 2022

NYC-area transit agencies seek ways to restore ridership post-Covid

New York City-area transit agencies are looking for ways to restore public transit ridership to the levels they were before the pandemic. The MTA, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ Transit, the city's Department of Transportation, and the Partnership for NYC announced on Monday the fourth round of the Transit Tech Lab, a program that aims to find solutions to problems facing the city's public transportation system. The agencies put forth two challenges; the first is a solution to help the public transit system recover from Covid-19 and restore its ridership to pre-pandemic levels. The second is a sustainability challenge, looking for innovations that will better prepare the transit system against extreme weather conditions while leaving less of a carbon footprint.
See more here

The MV John F. Kennedy in 2015. Photo: Godsfriendchuck via Wikimedia commons

January 21, 2022

SNL’s Pete Davidson and Colin Jost rescue retired Staten Island Ferry boat for $280K

"Saturday Night Live" stars Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, along with comedy club owner Paul Italia, were the high bidders for the retired Staten Island Ferry boat John F. Kennedy, the NY Post reports. The boat, recently retired from the Staten Island Ferry fleet, was listed for $125,000 at a public auction that ended Wednesday. The auction price of the vintage vessel, retired after over five decades of service, had been slashed in half, but its new owners bid $280,000 in a last-minute bidding war, armed with plans to transform the ferry into a live entertainment venue.
More on the JFK, this way

14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ route between Brooklyn and Queens moves forward

Image courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

January 21, 2022

14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ route between Brooklyn and Queens moves forward

A public transportation project that could ease the lives of thousands of New Yorkers is gaining momentum. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced the completion of a feasibility study for the Interborough Express, moving the project into its next phase of development. The feasibility study yielded promising results, revealing that the new line could serve anywhere between 74,000 and 88,000 riders a day while connecting to 17 subway stops and the Long Island Rail Road. From its start in Bay Ridge to its final stop in Jackson Heights, the route would take 40 minutes.
Find out more

New daily, year-round ferry service launches to and from Governors Island

Image courtesy of the Trust for Governors Island

January 20, 2022

New daily, year-round ferry service launches to and from Governors Island

The city's Economic Development and the Trust For Governors Island on Thursday announced that daily, year-round ferry service to Governors Island will begin on Monday, January 24. The NYC Ferry will add a stop at Yankee Pier on its South Brooklyn Route between Red Hook and Sunset Park, connecting New Yorkers to the island from the Lower East Side and Brooklyn. The new service’s hours will coincide with the Island's new winter hours, open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Find out more

NYC pledges to make 1,000 intersections safer for pedestrians

Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 19, 2022

NYC pledges to make 1,000 intersections safer for pedestrians

Last year, New York City experienced the highest level of traffic fatalities in over a decade, a majority of which took place at street intersections. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced a plan to better protect pedestrians, including improving the design of 1,000 intersections across the city, constructing 100 raised crosswalks annually, and enforcing a new traffic rule that requires drivers and cyclists to fully stop for pedestrians when traffic controls are not in place.
Get the details

Adams, Hochul will increase police presence in NYC subway system to combat homelessness and crime

Image courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

January 7, 2022

Adams, Hochul will increase police presence in NYC subway system to combat homelessness and crime

Commuters will soon see more New York City police officers riding the subway, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Hochul and Adams on Thursday laid out a new initiative to tackle homelessness by deploying teams of specially trained Safe Options Support officials. These "SOS" teams will consist of mental health professionals who will work with the city's outreach teams to assist homeless New Yorkers. To combat crime in the subway system, Adams has ordered the mobilization of more officers who will patrol stations and board trains to make visual inspections.
Find out more

Hochul announces 14-mile-long ‘Interborough Express,’ connecting Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights

After decades of speculation and discarded plans, better train access could be on the way for New Yorkers living in Queens and Brooklyn. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced in her 2022 State of the State address plans for the development of the "Interborough Express," a major transit service expansion that would connect the boroughs. The proposed expansion takes the Bay Ridge Branch, a freight rail line that already runs through Brooklyn and Queens, and transforms it into a 14-mile arching track stretching from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights. The new track would link up to 17 existing subway lines across the two boroughs, as well as provide a connection to the Long Island Rail Road.
Find out more

NYC Ferry continues expansion with new Bronx stop in Throgs Neck

NYC Ferry launched service in Throgs Neck in the Bronx with the opening of a new landing at Ferry Point Park. Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

December 29, 2021

NYC Ferry continues expansion with new Bronx stop in Throgs Neck

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday cut the ribbon on a new ferry landing in the Bronx. Located at Ferry Point Park in Throgs Neck, the new landing extends NYC Ferry's Soundview route, which stops on the Upper East Side, Midtown, and the Financial District. With the addition of this new stop, the Soundview route begins at Ferry Point Park, continuing onto stops in Soundview, East 90th Street, 34th Street, Stuyvesant Cove, and Wall Street/Pier 11. The entire route takes a total of 60 minutes.
Details here

Ride NYC’s oldest operating subway cars one last time before the MTA retires them

Photo of an R32 subway car by Mtattrain on Wikimedia

December 20, 2021

Ride NYC’s oldest operating subway cars one last time before the MTA retires them

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is set to retire the R-32, one of the oldest operating subway cars in the world, in early 2022. The R-32 has carried New Yorkers to their destinations for 58 years but has fallen out of use due to the modernization of the subway system. To honor their incredible legacy, an R-32 train will run on each consecutive Sunday in December before being officially retired in early January.
See more here

Rendering by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

December 14, 2021

Hochul announces plan for new $9.5B international terminal at JFK Airport

One of New York's busiest airports will be getting a new $9.5 billion terminal, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday. Led by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYJ), a planned 2.4 million-square-foot state-of-the-art terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport will become its largest international terminal. "The time to get large infrastructure projects done is now, and I'm committed to getting JFK's brand new Terminal One underway and completed as soon as possible," Hochul said.
Finally, the future of JFK, this way

Transit

Infrastructure bill will bring billions in funding for NYC transit projects and more

Photo courtesy of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

November 8, 2021

Infrastructure bill will bring billions in funding for NYC transit projects and more

The long-awaited bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the wee hours of last week's end will mean billions of dollars in much-needed investment in New York City's own infrastructure. The bill, which President Joe Biden has said he will sign this week, adds $550 billion to be spent on transportation, bringing the total to $1.2 trillion, as Gothamist reports. The New York City region will see that investment in the form of projects like the addition of subway station elevators, upgrades to Amtrak–and a revival of the long-stalled Gateway Project's Hudson River tunnels. Carlo Scissura, president and chief executive officer of the New York Building Congress, said, “It really does transform the physical part of our region in a way that we haven't had a federal investment like this in decades honestly.”
Find out more about the $$$$ headed for NYC

Hochul wants to rename Penn Station as part of revised renovation plan

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

November 4, 2021

Hochul wants to rename Penn Station as part of revised renovation plan

Would Penn Station still be as much fun to mock if it wasn't named after the commonwealth of Pennslyvania? Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday unveiled a revised redevelopment plan of the cramped transit hub, a pet project of her predecessor. In addition to redesigning and upgrading the existing facility and adding public space to the surrounding area, Hochul is also calling for the notorious train hall to be renamed.
Find out more

New LIRR concourse at Grand Central unveiled as part of long-awaited East Side Access project

Governor Kathy Hochul rode a test train from Jamaica to the East Side Access complex at Grand Central Terminal on Sun., October 31, 2021. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA) Flickr

November 1, 2021

New LIRR concourse at Grand Central unveiled as part of long-awaited East Side Access project

The project that will bring direct Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal hit a major milestone this weekend. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday rode the first passenger LIRR train into the new concourse at the Midtown East transit hub and gave the public a first look at the terminal. Expected to officially open in December 2022, the East Side Access project will provide direct service to Manhattan's east side for Long Island and Queens commuters, while also reducing crowds at Penn Station.
Get the details

What it was like the day the NYC subway opened in 1904

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. “City Hall Subway Station, New York” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1906.

October 27, 2021

What it was like the day the NYC subway opened in 1904

By Emily Nonko

The Interborough Rapid Transit Subway, or IRT, was the first subway company ever in New York City. The company formed as a response to elevated train lines springing up around the city--it was time to go underground and build a rapid transit railroad to help combat street congestion and assist development in new areas of New York, according to NYCsubway.org. On October 27, 1904, the first IRT subway line opened with the City Hall station as its showpiece. It's no overstatement to say that after this date, the city would never be the same. And the day was one to remember, with pure excitement over the impressive feat of moving the city's transit system underground.
Here's what you need to know

Six blocks of Broadway will become Manhattan’s largest shared street as part of open space plan

Mayor Bill de Blasio and DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman cut the ribbon on new open space on Broadway in the Flatiron District on Monday, October 25, 2021. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.

October 26, 2021

Six blocks of Broadway will become Manhattan’s largest shared street as part of open space plan

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Hank Gutman have announced more improvements coming to the city's streets, including six blocks of Broadway that will be fully dedicated to pedestrians or modified so that cars, cyclists, and pedestrians can share the street. The DOT’s “Broadway Vision” will reimagine 12 blocks of the Manhattan street as shared public street space.
Find out more of what's coming to the streets

NYC subway ridership topped 3.2 million riders in one day for the first time since Covid

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

October 18, 2021

NYC subway ridership topped 3.2 million riders in one day for the first time since Covid

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the New York City subway saw over 3.2 million riders in one day. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday announced 3,236,904 customers rode the subway on October 14, passing the previous record made a week prior by 50,000 customers. The record set last week still remains far below pre-pandemic levels; average weekday ridership regularly exceeded 5.5 million trips before Covid.
More here

Cuomo’s $2.1B LaGuardia AirTrain project is halted

Rendering courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

October 13, 2021

Cuomo’s $2.1B LaGuardia AirTrain project is halted

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday that it would be putting the brakes on any further development of the AirTrain, the proposed 1.5-mile elevated rail that would run between the airport and the eastern Queens neighborhood of Willets Point, with a connection to the subway and Long Island Rail Road. The project was a top priority for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. His successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, has called for a review of alternatives to the project in response to opposition by community groups and local officials who have criticized its environmental review process, its impact on the surrounding community, and a dearth of alternatives being discussed.
Is it the end of the line for AirTran?

NYC’s open streets program falls short of 100-mile promise, report says

Photo: Transportation Alternatives

October 12, 2021

NYC’s open streets program falls short of 100-mile promise, report says

In the summer of 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city would close 100 miles of streets to cars for use by pedestrians, a policy formed in response to the pandemic and the need for safe, socially distanced outdoor space. Over a year later, just over 24 miles of Open Streets are currently active, according to a report released this week by the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives (TA).
Get the details

September 24, 2021

MTA unveils colorful new subway mosaics at Bedford and 1st Avenue L train stations

By Dana Schulz

This week, the MTA unveiled two new mosaic series at the 1st Avenue and Bedford Avenue L train stations. In the East Village, artist Katherine Bradford created Queens of the Night, a fanciful tribute to the creatives and essential workers (depicted as superheroes) who ride the L train. And in Williamsburg, artist Marcel Dzama created No Less Than Everything Comes Together, a collection of theatric fairytale-like figures under the sun and moon.
READ MORE

The Brooklyn Bridge bike lane is finally open

Photo by the New York City Department of Transportation on Flickr

September 15, 2021

The Brooklyn Bridge bike lane is finally open