MTA crisis and congestion pricing
New York state lawmakers demanded more details Wednesday about Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to impose new tolls on motorists entering Manhattan, saying they want to know how much drivers will pay before they're willing to approve any new surcharges.
Congestion pricing recommendation by Cuomo group for MTA
A work group convened by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Metropolitan Transportation Sustainability Advisory Work Group, release a report on ways to fund the MTA starting with congestion pricing.
Lhota resigns
MTA chairman Joe Lhota resigned on Friday. Lhota, 64, was appointed chairman last year amid increasing problems on the city's aging subway system. It was his second stint as MTA chief.
Homeless in subways
New York City Transit President Andy Byford is drawing the line on homelessness in the subways. As the MTA looks to improve customer experience, the hammer is coming down. Station managers are being ordered to have those who litter or take up more than one seat removed from the system.
Bus shelters off limits
More than a third of bus shelters in New York City were out of commission on Tuesday following the collapse of a bus shelter roof on Staten Island earlier this month. A corroded bolt reportedly caused the roof to come crashing down. The city Department of Transportation along with JCDecaux began emergency inspections on Monday.
Crumbling subway stations
'Name that substance!' is a line nobody wants to hear when they're in the MTA system, especially when that substance is overhead and dripping down. A brownish substance started oozing from the ceiling at the Atlantic Terminal this week. Some started wondering what it is: rainwater or sewage?
Opposition to LIRR fare hike
Elected officials on Long Island oppose the MTA's plan to raise Long Island Rail Road fares. They said a fare hike is unfair to riders, especially when the railroad's performance is at an all-time low over the past nearly two decades. A letter to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is calling for a forensic audit of the MTA or at the very least the LIRR.
MTA in disarray
To think we could lay out in any kind of detail on how and why the New York City subway system now works — or doesn't work — the way it does in the space of this report would be foolish, which also speaks to the direness of the situation now facing our subways and the number and variety of opportunities that our leaders have chosen to neglect it.
Assaults on MTA workers
Three days after two people assaulted a subway conductor at the Grant Avenue station in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, transit workers union president Tony Utano and NYC Transit president Andy Byford held a joint news conference outside of MTA headquarters to announce what they described as an "all-out blitz against those who think attacking transit workers is acceptable.
MTA fare hikes
Commuters in the New York area can expect to pay more to ride the subways and buses soon. At an MTA board meeting Wednesday, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said the agency has "a clear and urgent need for new and consistent revenues." He proposed two rounds of 4-percent fare hikes: one in 2019 and another in 2021.
Crumbing subway station
The Borough Hall subway station in Brooklyn is more than 100 years old and is known to have water problems. That issue led to a ceiling collapse on Wednesday. A 10-feet-by-10-feet section of ceiling tile came crashing down onto the 4/5 subway platform. Luckily, only one rider suffered a minor injury to the arm and didn't require medical attention.
Massive transit overhaul plan
New York City Transit on Wednesday unveiled a plan for a massive overhaul of the city's subway and bus system. The plan is called Fast Forward and could be completed in 10 years—30 years earlier than previously estimated. Acknowledging that riders are "fed up," NYC Transit president Andy Byford presented the MTA Board with a plan to modernize the signal system and improve wheelchair accessibility. The signal system is to blame for a number of delays.
Metro-North mess
All Metro-North Railroad service was suspended for a few hours because of downed trees on tracks. That created severe overcrowding at Grand Central Terminal. Limited and delayed service was later restored, but thousands of commuters faced a nightmare evening trip home.
Subway elevator construction
Several business owners on 7th Avenue at 55th Street in Manhattan say the MTA stunned them with the news that it is installing a subway elevator on their block and it will take at least three years to complete. Workers will install 5-foot-tall fences like those erected for the 2nd Avenue subway construction. The fences and construction killed many of the businesses on 2nd Avenue.
New LIRR president on the job
The new president of the MTA's Long Island Rail Road will be traveling to major transit hubs to talk to commuters about their concerns. Philip Eng's visit to the Mineola train station on Tuesday was far from smooth. He shook hands with commuters and talked to them about improving service just as Amtrak switch problems at Penn Station caused a number of delays and cancellations.
Soggy subways
Monday's heavy rain pelted New York City. The rainwater had to go somewhere. So some of it ended up in the subway system. Rain came gushing down from the ceiling at the Bryant Park station. The F and M lines skipped the station as water flowed down through the grates above. Crews were busy removing trash and debris off the drains as the rainwater continued to pour in.
LIRR president steps down
Long Island Rail Road President Patrick Nowakowski is resigning effective Friday. Newsday reports that Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joseph Lhota released a statement Wednesday night thanking Nowakowski for his four years of "steady and evenhanded leadership."
Hero MTA workers
A subway conductor who happens to be a certified emergency medical tech saved a passenger's life this week. Some commuters told Kevin Bartsch that man was passed out in a subway car. Bartsch found the man with no pulse and blue lips so he started CPR chest-compressions until an MTA EMT responded to help.
Subway chief responds to criticisms
Some 10 weeks into the job, New York City Transit President Andy Byford Took to Twitter to communicate directly with his customers. Some tough New Yorkers called it a public relations stunt but others took advantage and got answers directly from the man in charge. Byford hosted the Twitter session on a rough morning where the list disrupted lines read like the alphabet: the A, C, E, D, L, N, R, M, F, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 lines and the Rockaway Park shuttle all had major problems. But that didn't stop him from his Twitter session.
Massive fire causes LIRR problems
The Long Island Rail Road suspended service on four of its branches because of a large fire at a recycling plant near the tracks east of the Jamaica station. Service was suspended in both directions on Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, Oyster Bay, Hempstead branches after the fire started shortly after 1 p.m. Friday. Limited eastbound service was restored on some lines by 5 p.m.