LIRR problems
Late and canceled trains have become the new normal for many Long Island Rail Road riders, according to a new report from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Findings show that 2017 was, in fact, the worst year for the LIRR since 1999. The report reveals more than 19,200 trains were late last year. Of these, more than 7,000 trains were over 10 minutes late. Nearly 1,400 trains were canceled at the terminal before departure. The 5:59 p.m. train from Penn Station to Babylon had the worst on-time average of any evening peak train at 63 percent.
Making sense of subway nomenclature
The BMT, the IND, the IRT—if you think that all sounds like Greek to me, it is really quite simple. All three of those operating companies became part of the New York City subway system. So why is there no P train or no 8 train? So many questions, so little time. I found answers them at the New York Transit Museum in Downtown Brooklyn.
Railroad service mess
The powerful nor'easter that pummeled the New York area Wednesday with snow, rain, and wind caused a mess on the region's railroads. Metro-North Railroad's New Haven, Harlem, and Hudson lines are all suspended as of Wednesday evening due to downed trees and "weather-related infrastructure issues," according to the MTA.
Overcrowded subways
For years, subway overcrowding has taken much of the blame for bungling our commutes. But on Tuesday, the new head of New York City Transit confirmed what many New Yorkers have long suspected if not always known: Overcrowding is often not the cause of delays but an effect of them.
LIRR improvement plan
After falling off the tracks in January with the worst on-time performance in more than two decades, the MTA's Long Island Rail Road outlined a "performance improvement plan" that it hopes will improve the performance and service of the railroad.
Subway disruptions
A bus stop in Astoria, Queens, was so packed with people Tuesday morning that a line of commuters wound around 31st Street. Out of nowhere, Astoria commuters were told the trains were canceled and they'd have to find another way to get to work. Frustrated commuters told Fox 5 that these service delays and suspensions seem to happen all too often. And they said that consider yourself lucky if just one line has a problem. Tuesday morning, the F, N, M, Q, R, and W lines suffered massive delays due to signals problems, leaving hundreds late and stranded. The delays in Astoria made for a particularly chaotic scene.
NYC subway crisis discussion
Two New York Times reporters came to Fox 5 News to discuss their investigation into the slow build of the MTA's subway crisis over the course of decades.
L train shutdown fears
The L train shutdown is more than a year away, but panic is already starting to set in among commuters. MTA and New York City officials are trying to reassure riders that they will have adequate alternatives to get back and forth from Brooklyn to Manhattan. But a lot of people fear the worst.
Healthcare workers cope with long commutes
As tough as it can be to depend on the subway, healthcare workers say their commute is the worst. So why is getting to work such an extra-long haul for people in the medical industry? About 500,000 healthcare workers in the five boroughs spend more time commuting than those in any other industry, with an average commute of more than 51 minutes, according to a new study conducted by the independent think tank the Center for an Urban Future.
Akayed Ullah in court
In handcuffs, terror suspect Akayed Ullah walked into federal court in Manhattan Thursday. A grand jury has indicted Ullah for allegedly detonating a pipe bomb in December in a busy subway walkway connecting the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Times Square. The judge asked Ullah if he had seen the six-count indictment and had the opportunity to speak with his lawyers about it. He answered, "Yes." When asked for his plea, Ullah responded, "At this moment, not guilty."
MTA begins testing electric buses
To its existing nearly 1,700 hybrid buses, more than 3,300 diesel buses, and 760 compressed natural gas buses, the MTA on Tuesday added three new city buses powered only by electricity. The MTA plans to phase in another seven electric buses in the next month as part of a three-year trial program testing this technology, which is in use in just 250 other individual all-electric city buses across the country.
More Penn Station repairs begin
Commuters were expecting a few service changes Monday morning on New Jersey Transit, Amtrak, and Long Island Rail Road because of a new round of track work scheduled at Penn Station. What they weren't prepared for was a disabled Amtrak train and the massive delays that followed.
Ongoing LIRR problems
It may be a new year but it is the same old story of service disruptions and delays when it comes to the Long Island Rail Road. Dozens of disruptions in December prompted state Sen. Todd Kaminsky to demand an investigation. A damaged rail in Amtrak's East River tunnel Wednesday morning caused changes and cancellations for commuters who crowded outside of Jamaica Station.
Trains collide
An MTA worker was injured when two work trains collided in a subway tunnel in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. It happened around 5:13 a.m. on the E and M line between the 53rd and Lexington Ave. station and Roosevelt Island. The worker suffered a back injury. The worker was taken out of the subway on a stretcher and brought to Bellevue Hospital Center in serious condition.
Security at transit hubs, bridges
The New York National Guard will be deployed across bridges, tunnels, airports and mass transit systems in the New York City area over the holiday season. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the move is in light of recent terrorist attacks. The coordinated law enforcement effort also increases the number of New York State Police assets deployed at all MTA and Port Authority facilities.
Doing MetroCard math
Countless straphangers wonder which MetroCard makes the most sense: weekly, monthly, of pay-as-you-go? If you're struggling to figure out what type of MetroCard you should buy, the MTA has a MetroCard fare calculator on its website to help you come up with the best plan. A 30-day unlimited card is only worth it if you swipe your card at least 47 times in the month, according to the website.
Subway workers getting iPhones
The latest MTA measure to ensure riders are kept in the loop is handing out 230 iPhone 6 phones to train conductors and platform controllers around the city. The MTA sill send those phones real-time updates on rail conditions, major delays, and which alternative route might be best.
Sanders and de Blasio ride the subway
After days of damaging headlines about his alleged pay-to-play relationship with a wealthy donor, and with one week to go until election day, Mayor Bill de Blasio was eager to reset the agenda Monday morning with a high-profile friend by his side, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Homeless New Yorkers in transit hubs
People commuting to the city, those who live here, those visiting say you can't avoid seeing the homeless taking shelter in stations and terminals. Fox 5 spotted workers outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal several times a week during the morning rush throwing buckets filled with bleach and water onto the building and sidewalks in spots that routinely reek of urine.
MetroCard to be phased out
After more than two decades, MTA is finally saying "It's not me -- it's you" and is getting ready to swipe left on MetroCards. The MTA on Monday approved more than $500 million to bring in the next fare-payment system beginning late 2018.