Policy

NYC subway saw 26.8 million riders last week, a new post-pandemic record

Credit: MTA / Trent Reeves on Flickr

September 17, 2025

NYC subway saw 26.8 million riders last week, a new post-pandemic record

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New York City's subway system surpassed 26 million riders in a single week, setting a new post-pandemic record, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday. Between September 8 and 14, the system recorded 26.8 million riders, the highest weekly total since the pandemic. The subway also carried more than four million riders every weekday last week, another post-pandemic first.
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Fort Greene and Clinton Hill will be next NYC neighborhoods to fully containerize trash

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 16, 2025

Fort Greene and Clinton Hill will be next NYC neighborhoods to fully containerize trash

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Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are following West Harlem’s lead and will become the next neighborhoods in New York City to fully containerize trash. Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan on Tuesday announced that schools in Brooklyn Community District 2 will receive on-street trash containers, known as Empire Bins, this fall, with all high-density residential buildings in the area scheduled to follow next year. Building on the success of West Harlem’s program, all buildings in the district must place trash in containers, with those with 31 or more units required to use Empire Bins.
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LIRR strike avoided for now after unions ask Trump to intervene

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 15, 2025

LIRR strike avoided for now after unions ask Trump to intervene

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A strike on the Long Island Rail Road has been avoided, at least temporarily. Unions representing thousands of railroad workers announced on Monday a request to the Trump administration to create an emergency board to help reach a deal with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority over wage increases. A strike, the first on the LIRR since 1994, was approved for this Thursday, but the request to form the panel, called a Presidential Emergency Board, delays the walkout by several months.
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MTA expands bus lane camera enforcement to four more routes

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 15, 2025

MTA expands bus lane camera enforcement to four more routes

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Don't block the bus. Four more bus routes in Queens and the Bronx will now have automated camera enforcement, with a 60-day warning period for drivers improperly using busways or blocking stops starting on Monday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced. After the warning period is up, the MTA will issue summonses ranging from $50 for a first offense to $250 for repeat violations.
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LIRR strike: Here’s what riders need to know

Image via WikiCommons

September 12, 2025

LIRR strike: Here’s what riders need to know

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Nearly 300,000 Long Island Rail Road riders could face disrupted commutes as early as next Thursday, as unions threaten the agency’s first strike in nearly 30 years. Unions representing over 3,000 workers, or roughly half of the railroad’s workforce, could walk out on September 18 unless they receive higher raises than those already negotiated with the MTA, which says half of the workforce has already accepted the deal. Even a partial strike would halt all LIRR service, since striking employees include engineers, signalmen, and other essential staff.
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City Council overrides Adams’ veto of street vending bill

Credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

September 11, 2025

City Council overrides Adams’ veto of street vending bill

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The City Council on Wednesday voted to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a bill that decriminalizes most street vending violations in New York City. The measure, Intro. 47, removes misdemeanor penalties for general and food vendors, making them civil offenses instead. The Council first passed the bill with a veto-proof majority in July, but Adams vetoed it in August, saying it “sends the wrong message” as the city ramps up enforcement against illegal vending.
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Trump Organization loses bid for Central Park’s Wollman Rink

Credit: Yomex Owo on Unsplash

September 11, 2025

Trump Organization loses bid for Central Park’s Wollman Rink

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The Trump Organization's bid to reclaim control of Central Park's iconic Wollman Rink has failed. As first reported by The City, the Department of Parks and Recreation submitted a limited liability corporation that Related created to submit a proposal for the rink to the Department of Investigation for a background check. The president's company operated the rink for many years before former Mayor Bill de Blasio canceled the contract in 2021 following the January 6 riot at the Capitol. According to The City, the proposed agreement will still need to go through a review committee.
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NYC subway delays fueled by aging cars and equipment, report says

Credit: Matthew LeJune on Unsplash

September 10, 2025

NYC subway delays fueled by aging cars and equipment, report says

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Aging subway cars and equipment are causing increasing delays for New York City commuters, according to a report released Wednesday by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Of the 2.7 million scheduled subway trips in 2024, 486,614 arrived late, with infrastructure and equipment failures responsible for 31 percent of those delays—up from 24 percent in 2023. The report also found that over a quarter of subway cars are past their 40-year lifespan, and major service disruptions linked to car issues nearly tripled, from 27 to 77 in the first six months of 2025.
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17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered Manhattan since congestion pricing launched this year

Photo by Koon Chakhatrakan on Unsplash

September 10, 2025

17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered Manhattan since congestion pricing launched this year

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Congestion pricing is (still) working. According to Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA officials, 2.7 million fewer vehicles entered Manhattan below 61st Street in August, a 14 percent drop that matched June for the largest reduction recorded so far in 2025. The positive data comes about a month before a scheduled federal court hearing in October, where the Trump administration’s attempt to end the tolling system will be decided. Since the program began in January, the number of vehicles entering the zone is down 12 percent, with 87,000 fewer trips each day and 17.6 million fewer vehicles compared to last year.
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Design for ‘floating’ 79th Street Boat Basin dock house gets final approval

All renderings courtesy of Architecture Research Office

September 8, 2025

Design for ‘floating’ 79th Street Boat Basin dock house gets final approval

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More than 10 years after Hurricane Sandy extensively damaged the Upper West Side's 79th Street Boat Basin and its dock house, and three years after it was temporarily closed, the city is moving forward with a replacement facility. The Public Design Commission last month voted to approve the design for the reconstruction of the boat basin and the new dock house by Architecture Research Office (ARO). The planned one-story building appears to float over the Hudson River, with nine columns supporting the structure above the dock, chamfered corners to allow for better views, and a stainless steel facade that reflects the surrounding water and sky.
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Flatbush Avenue redesign to begin this fall

A rendering of NYC DOT’s Flatbush Avenue bus lane proposal at Flatbush Avenue and Park Place. Credit: NYC DOT

September 5, 2025

Flatbush Avenue redesign to begin this fall

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Flatbush Avenue is getting faster (and safer). Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Friday announced work will begin this fall on center-running bus lanes along the busy Brooklyn corridor, from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza. The overhaul aims to speed up trips for 132,000 daily riders, where buses now average less than 4 miles per hour. Slated for completion in 2026, the project also includes pedestrian islands with covered seating, shorter crossing times, and updated curb regulations to support local businesses.
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Trump reportedly wants to take over the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Photo by Kaabii Kiseki on Unsplash

September 5, 2025

Trump reportedly wants to take over the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

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President Donald Trump is considering taking federal control of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum after victims’ families criticized the site’s funding and management. As first reported by the New York Times, two White House officials said preliminary discussions have begun, though it remains unclear how the federal government would assume control. During his campaign last year, Trump pitched designating the site as a national monument, and at a rally last September, said he wanted to ensure the "hallowed ground" and the memory of those who perished would be "preserved for all time."
can he do that?
City Planning Commission approves Long Island City rezoning

Photo © Ondel Hylton

September 3, 2025

City Planning Commission approves Long Island City rezoning

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The proposal to rezone Long Island City, which could bring tens of thousands of new homes to the Queens neighborhood, advanced this week with a key approval. On Wednesday, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan, which would rezone a 54-block industrial section of the waterfront to make way for 14,700 homes, with at least 4,300 of them permanently affordable, the most homes created by a neighborhood rezoning in 25 years. The plan also calls for more than 3.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, as well as a continuous, publicly accessible waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park.
DETAILS ON THE PLAN
Penn Station revamp to begin in late 2027, Trump says

Photo by Don Ramey Logan on Wikimedia

August 28, 2025

Penn Station revamp to begin in late 2027, Trump says

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Construction on the long-delayed revamp of Penn Station will start in late 2027, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said proposals will be accepted starting in October for the redevelopment of the busy train hall, with a goal to start construction in two years. The news comes after the feds put Amtrak in control of the project over Gov. Kathy Hochul in April. It's unclear how much the project will now cost under the updated timeline and possibly new design, but previous estimates from the MTA listed a $7 billion price tag.
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145-year-old footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach reopens after revamp

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

August 27, 2025

145-year-old footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach reopens after revamp

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A 145-year-old footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach has reopened after a long-overdue revitalization. Last week, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez cut the ribbon on the new Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, originally built in 1880 and last repaired in 1930. As part of the project, in-house crews replaced the deck and walking boards, vertical supports, railings, and stringers, repainted the structure, and restored its decorative lighting.
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Amtrak launches new Acela trains, with higher speeds and elevated amenities

All photos courtesy of Amtrak

August 26, 2025

Amtrak launches new Acela trains, with higher speeds and elevated amenities

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The fastest train in the United States is getting faster. This week, Amtrak will roll out the "NextGen" Acela, a new fleet of sleek trains traveling between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. at 160 miles per hour, up from the Acela's current 150 miles per hour. Not only will the trains move faster, but the NextGen Acela will also offer better onboard features, including ergonomic seating, extra legroom, large windows, high-speed WiFi, and new wayfinding screens. The first day of service for the new trains is Thursday, August 28.
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City begins $44M project to rebuild busy stretch of Grand Concourse

Credit: Department of Design and Construction

August 26, 2025

City begins $44M project to rebuild busy stretch of Grand Concourse

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New York City has broken ground on a $44 million project to bring major street safety upgrades to a stretch of Grand Concourse, one of the Bronx’s busiest corridors. Announced on Monday by the city, phase five includes an overhaul of the roadway from East Fordham Road to East 198th Street by adding new bike lanes, wider medians, bollards, better lighting, and improved pedestrian access. The project builds upon four earlier phases and is part of a broader effort to improve safety and ease traffic along the bustling corridor.
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Tunnel boring for Hudson River tunnel project to begin next summer

Credit: Gateway Development Commission

August 25, 2025

Tunnel boring for Hudson River tunnel project to begin next summer

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Tunnel boring for the Hudson Tunnel Project, which will build a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey and rehabilitate the existing tunnel, is set to begin next summer. The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) announced last week that two massive tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will arrive early next year to start digging the 2.4-mile connection to Penn Station. The machines are expected to take about a year to dig the first mile of tunnel from Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, where crews have spent the past two years preparing the site, to an access shaft in Hudson County, which is currently under construction.
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Waymo to test self-driving cars in NYC

In 2021, Waymo mapped certain streets in Manhattan to learn its busy traffic patterns and features. Photo courtesy of Waymo

August 22, 2025

Waymo to test self-driving cars in NYC

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Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, is coming to New York City. The company received a permit to begin testing a limited number of autonomous vehicles (AV) in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, Mayor Eric Adams and the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Friday. Current state law does not allow for fully driverless riding, so a trained specialist will be behind the steering wheel at all times during the pilot run.
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A new proposal may make the Gowanus Canal safe for swimming

Photo © Ondel Hylton

August 21, 2025

A new proposal may make the Gowanus Canal safe for swimming

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The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is attempting to get the Gowanus Canal reclassified to a degree of quality that would compel the city to clean it up enough for swimming, according to Crain's. The Brooklyn Superfund site is currently classified as a Class SD waterway, which supports fishing; a proposal that includes raising the quality of 30 waterways would redesignate the waterway as Class SC, allowing for swimming and boating. But are we ready to leave the banks for a swim in the canal's fragrant waters?
Don't dive in just yet
Federal Transit Administration again threatens MTA funds over safety risks

Retrofitting the platform at the Broadway Junction L train station. Photo courtesy of MTA/Megan Armas on Flickr

August 20, 2025

Federal Transit Administration again threatens MTA funds over safety risks

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President Donald Trump's administration is once again threatening to withhold funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Tuesday accused the agency of using "flawed analytical approaches" in a safety plan and said it fails to reflect actual safety risk to subway workers. The FTA required the MTA to develop a new safety plan after a subway track worker was struck and killed by a train in 2023 and another worker was seriously injured the following year. The feds are threatening to withhold up to 25 percent of the financial assistance given to the MTA if safety is not improved for workers.
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NYC beaches closed for swimming due to dangerous conditions from Hurricane Erin

Photo by Jessica Sheridan on Wikimedia

August 20, 2025

NYC beaches closed for swimming due to dangerous conditions from Hurricane Erin

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New York City beaches will be closed for swimming on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as Hurricane Erin is expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to much of the East Coast. Mayor Eric Adams announced swimming is prohibited at all city beaches on August 20 and August 21; the sand remains open. The National Weather Service predicts waves could reach between 9 and 13 feet on Thursday, with the highest waves expected in the Rockaways. Several beaches along the Jersey Shore and on Long Island have also banned swimming.
what to know
Next Greenpoint Landing phase includes 1,000 apartments across three towers

Courtesy of C. Taylor Crothers / CTC Creative

August 19, 2025

Next Greenpoint Landing phase includes 1,000 apartments across three towers

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More than 1,000 new apartments are headed to the Greenpoint waterfront. The Domain Companies, LMXD, and Park Tower Group announced a joint venture partnership to build the next phase of Greenpoint Landing, a development along a 22-acre stretch of the East River that will eventually be home to 5,500 apartments. The next phase, "Block C" of the master plan, includes three mixed-income rental buildings, 20,000 square feet of retail space, and a waterfront public park.
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Second Avenue Subway extension moves ahead in Harlem with $2B contract

106th Street. Rendering courtesy of the MTA

August 18, 2025

Second Avenue Subway extension moves ahead in Harlem with $2B contract

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East Harlem is one major step closer to having better subway access for the first time since the 1940s. The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday approved a nearly $2 billion tunnel-boring contract for the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway, which extends the Q train from 96th Street to 125th Street. The tunneling contract marks the largest awarded in agency history.
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New Jersey development is a blueprint for neuroinclusive housing nationwide
August 18, 2025

New Jersey development is a blueprint for neuroinclusive housing nationwide

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Neurodivergent individuals comprise between 15 and 20 percent of the U.S. population, according to the American Enterprise Institute. Yet, some estimates say that up to 40 percent of this population faces unemployment, partly because there is a significant shortage of supportive housing for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorders (LD), and other diagnoses. This is why a new, first-of-its-kind neuroinclusive apartment building currently under construction in Red Bank, NJ, is such an exciting development.
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