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NYC unveils first permanently gated ‘School Street’ in Hudson Square

Photos courtesy of NYC DOT

October 8, 2026

NYC unveils first permanently gated ‘School Street’ in Hudson Square

A car-free street next to a Manhattan public school got even safer for students this week. The city on Tuesday installed the first swing gate outside of City-As-School/M721 on Clarkson Street in Hudson Square, a designated "School Street," a pedestrianized block next to schools. The permanent swing-arm gate eliminates the need to set up and take down metal barricades. Modeled after similar gates used at schools in Paris, the gate blocks traffic during the school day and opens outside school hours.
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MTA to bring new fare gates to 20 more subway stations after 35% drop in evasion

Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr

October 7, 2026

MTA to bring new fare gates to 20 more subway stations after 35% drop in evasion

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a pilot program of new fare gates at select New York City subway stations led to a 35 percent drop in fare evasion, the MTA plans to install them at 20 additional stations this year. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced the pilot results, as well as the next 20 stations to receive the modernized gates, which feature elements that make it much harder for commuters to hop over. The MTA has invited design firms Cubic, STraffic, and Conduent to submit bids for the next batch of gates, which are slated to be installed by the end of 2026.
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NJ Transit to cut service for five weeks as final Portal Bridge cutover begins

The project in 2024. Photos courtesy of Amtrak

October 6, 2026

NJ Transit to cut service for five weeks as final Portal Bridge cutover begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Jersey Transit riders will face five weeks of service disruptions starting this weekend as work begins on the final component of the Portal Bridge cutover project. From October 11 through November 14, all weekday Midtown Direct service will terminate in Hoboken as crews begin work. This will be the final service disruption caused by the project, which is switching rail operations from the 116-year-old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge. Once the cutover is complete, trains will be able to travel across the new bridge at speeds of up to 90 mph.
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NYC Ferry fare will increase to $5 this month

Credit: Sam Jotham Sutharson on Unsplash

October 5, 2026

NYC Ferry fare will increase to $5 this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

The price to ride NYC Ferry will go up later this month. The city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Monday announced the fare hike, which takes effect October 19, increasing the base one-way fare from $4.50 to $5 and the 10-trip pass from $29 to $30. The reduced one-way fare will increase from $1.45 to $1.50, while the two-day unlimited ticket will become a permanent fare product, maintaining its $15 price.
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Halloween ‘Trick-or-Streets’ return to NYC with 160 car-free streets

Photo © 6sqft

October 2, 2026

Halloween ‘Trick-or-Streets’ return to NYC with 160 car-free streets

By Aaron Ginsburg

Halloween returns to New York City’s streets at its largest scale yet, with 160 streets and public spaces closing to vehicles for spooky celebrations. Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Wednesday announced the return of "Trick-or-Streets," an annual initiative that closes streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the five boroughs to cars, providing safe space for free programming, trick-or-treating, and other Halloween activities.
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Battery Bikeway reopens with completion of $221M flood-resiliency project

Photos courtesy of BPCA

September 29, 2026

Battery Bikeway reopens with completion of $221M flood-resiliency project

By Aaron Ginsburg

A restored bikeway has reopened in Manhattan’s South Battery Park City, marking the completion of a transformative project that has turned the area into a buffer against rising sea levels and flooding. Unveiled last week, the Battery Bikeway offers cyclists a dedicated pathway with scenic views of New York Harbor as it winds along the borough’s southern tip. The bike path is the final component of the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project (SBPCR), the city’s multi-year effort to prepare Manhattan’s southern edge for rising sea levels and severe storms by elevating the waterfront, improving stormwater management, and more.
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Tunnel boring for $16B Hudson River tunnel project begins

Credit: Don Pollard/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr

September 28, 2026

Tunnel boring for $16B Hudson River tunnel project begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

After more than a decade of planning, work on a new rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey has finally begun. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the start of tunnel boring for the Hudson Tunnel Project, with the first of two hulking tunnel boring machines (TBMs) set to begin carving through the Palisades Cliffs and the second to follow soon after. The milestone comes after nearly three years of construction work and a months-long funding freeze by the Trump administration that briefly halted the project before a federal court ordered the funding restored.
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4.7 million people rode the NYC subway in a single day this week, a new post-pandemic record

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

September 25, 2026

4.7 million people rode the NYC subway in a single day this week, a new post-pandemic record

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly 4.7 million people rode the New York City subway on Wednesday, marking the system's highest ridership on a single day since before the pandemic. The milestone came during the United Nations General Assembly, when the city strongly encourages New Yorkers to take public transit amid heavy traffic and street closures. The tally sets a new post-pandemic ridership record, surpassing the previous high of 4.61 million riders set in December 2025.
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NYC Council bill would create ‘low-traffic neighborhoods’ across the city

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

September 24, 2026

NYC Council bill would create ‘low-traffic neighborhoods’ across the city

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some New York City Council members want to transform several areas into “low-traffic neighborhoods” by redesigning streets to divert through-traffic away from residential blocks. The bill, set to be introduced on Thursday by Council Member Shaun Abreu, chair of the council’s Transportation Committee, would require the city to install at least two types of “traffic-calming devices” in each neighborhood, such as speed bumps, medians, or barriers at intersections, as first reported by Gothamist. The measures are intended to slow traffic and discourage drivers from cutting through residential streets while maintaining access for emergency vehicles and delivery trucks.
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New subway photo exhibition reveals the behind-the-scenes work that keeps NYC moving

Photo captured at the MTA’s 207th Street Overhaul Shop; Client: New York Times. © Christopher Payne. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design for the exhibition “In Service: MTA Photographs by Christopher Payne.”

September 23, 2026

New subway photo exhibition reveals the behind-the-scenes work that keeps NYC moving

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new photography series in the New York City subway system seeks to illuminate the workers and infrastructure that keep New Yorkers moving behind the scenes. Unveiled Tuesday by MTA Arts & Design, "In Service: MTA Photographs by Christopher Payne" features images shot at 13 MTA facilities and manufacturing plants across four states, revealing the work and coordination required to keep the city's transit system running. The series of 50 photographs is displayed on 52 decommissioned advertising lightboxes at five major transit hubs, marking the first time the agency has presented a single photographer's work across its entire network.
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Mamdani unveils revamped Vision Zero plan with 100+ policy goals

By Aaron Ginsburg

Vision Zero is getting an overhaul. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released "Vision Zero Reimagined," a plan that builds on the original initiative's goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries and introduces 100 policy goals for the next decade. The safety commitments are organized around eight “big-picture goals,” including pedestrian-only zones, safety redesigns for nearly 200 untreated Vision Zero priority corridors citywide, and stronger enforcement against reckless drivers.
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September 10, 2026

New Interborough Express renderings show modern stations for proposed rail line between Brooklyn and Queens

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA this week released new renderings of the proposed rail line between Brooklyn and Queens, as the design process moves "ahead of schedule." The images of the Interborough Express reveal modern outdoor train stations for the light rail, which will include 18 fully accessible stations between Bay Ridge and Jackson Heights. Following the design and engineering phase, the agency plans to release a draft environmental impact statement later this year. The MTA also launched a revamped website for the project.
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After street redesign, 5.5-mile protected bike corridor between Sunset Park and Dumbo is complete

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

September 2, 2026

After street redesign, 5.5-mile protected bike corridor between Sunset Park and Dumbo is complete

By Aaron Ginsburg

A stretch of street in Downtown Brooklyn so notorious for safety issues that it has earned the nickname “Crashland” could soon shed its moniker following a redesign. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Tuesday announced the completion of work on a continuous protected bike lane on Ashland Place between Lafayette Street and Hanson Place, filling in the final gap in a 5.5-mile protected bike corridor between Sunset Park and Dumbo. While work began in 2022, construction was halted under former Mayor Eric Adams and left unfinished for three years.
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116th Street overhaul will add new bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian space

Credit: NYC DOT

September 1, 2026

116th Street overhaul will add new bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian space

By Aaron Ginsburg

New bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian safety upgrades are coming to Manhattan's busy 116th Street. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Monday announced that work has begun on a major revamp of the Harlem corridor, adding 2.5 miles of offset and curbside bus lanes and other street upgrades. The project aims to improve commutes for more than 65,000 daily bus riders, who contend with speeds of less than four miles per hour in certain sections.
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LIRR will run year-round direct trips from Penn Station to Montauk

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 26, 2026

LIRR will run year-round direct trips from Penn Station to Montauk

By Aaron Ginsburg

Direct journeys to Montauk on the Long Island Rail Road will no longer be seasonal, with transit officials making the service permanently year-round. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday announced service changes and infrastructure upgrades to the LIRR's Montauk Branch, including the addition of a year-round weekday 5:13 p.m. train from Penn Station to the coastal hamlet, providing a one-seat journey to the eastern end of Long Island. Set to begin next month, the added service comes as the Montauk Branch has experienced continued growth, with ridership increasing 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year.
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NYC announces $4B plan to fix city-owned portion of BQE

Credit: Mary and Andrew on Flickr

August 24, 2026

NYC announces $4B plan to fix city-owned portion of BQE

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will move forward with repairs to the decrepit, city-owned section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway following decades of delays. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Monday announced plans to fix the aging corridor between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street by installing temporary bypass structures that will allow the DOT to repair the structure while ensuring minimal disruption to traffic flow. The move marks the first major action to rehabilitate the 70-year-old triple-cantilevered portion of the BQE, where each year of inaction adds an estimated $160 million to the cost of rehabilitation.
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MTA unlikely to meet 2040 goal for 100% zero-emission bus fleet, audit finds

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 20, 2026

MTA unlikely to meet 2040 goal for 100% zero-emission bus fleet, audit finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is falling behind on its plan to replace New York City’s public bus fleet with zero-emission vehicles by 2040, according to the state comptroller. In the audit published on Wednesday, New York Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found that the MTA’s reliance on single manufacturers with limited production capacity has led to delays, while the cost of producing electric buses has risen substantially. The MTA's four-stage plan called for the next 485 of 500 buses to be delivered by the end of 2024, but only one had been delivered by June 2025. The agency has since reduced its next order from 1,000 to 500 buses.
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Amtrak completes first phase of East River tunnel project amid LIRR disruptions

The new tunnel. All images courtesy of Amtrak

August 18, 2026

Amtrak completes first phase of East River tunnel project amid LIRR disruptions

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 15-month rehabilitation of one of two East River tunnels is complete. Amtrak on Monday announced the completion of phase one of the project, which began last year to repair two of the four tunnels damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 that carry trains in and out of Penn Station and are also used by the LIRR and NJ Transit. The agency shut down one tunnel at a time despite MTA calls for a rush-hour service approach, which officials said curtailed LIRR service by forcing too many trains to share the remaining tunnels.
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Congestion pricing has had little impact on NYC air quality, city report finds

Credit: Spencer Liao on Unsplash

August 17, 2026

Congestion pricing has had little impact on NYC air quality, city report finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

While congestion pricing has delivered on its initial promise of curbing traffic in Manhattan’s busiest areas, the program's expected benefits for air quality and pollution have so far fallen short, according to a new report. Released Friday by the New York City Health Department, the report found that air quality in Manhattan’s central business district, where drivers are charged $9 to enter below 60th Street during certain times, remained stable or improved only marginally after the toll program took effect in January 2025. Meanwhile, on major highways outside the toll zone, where opponents had feared changing traffic patterns would lead to increased air pollution, pollution levels remained stable.
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City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

Photo courtesy of DOT

August 14, 2026

City begins construction on first busway in the Bronx

By Devin Gannon

Starting next month, 39,000 bus riders in the Bronx will have a faster daily commute. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) this week officially started construction on the Tremont Avenue Busway, a mile-long, car-free lane designated for the Bx36 bus from Third Avenue to Southern Boulevard. The busway, the eighth to be installed in the city, aims to speed up commutes by 60 percent for the bus route, which currently travels at less than five miles per hour.
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New York will test new thermal tech that cools down NYC subway platforms

All photos courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 11, 2026

New York will test new thermal tech that cools down NYC subway platforms

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and state officials this week announced plans to cool New York City subway platforms that turn into saunas during the summer. The mayor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are teaming up to study thermal energy networks (TENs) at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and Chamber Street complex, among the city's hottest subway platforms. The technology, the first in the nation installed in a transit system, involves capturing, storing, and recycling the excess heat to surrounding buildings in the winter. The TENs study will be part of a thorough renovation of the Chambers Street station, one of the city's oldest.
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Transit

MTA to retrofit every NYC bus with area for open strollers

Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 7, 2026

MTA to retrofit every NYC bus with area for open strollers

By Devin Gannon

Traveling around New York City with small children will soon get a little easier. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced that every bus will have an open stroller area, a designated space for parents and caregivers to hold a stroller without having to fold it up, which was previously required to ride. The agency said about 75 percent of its 5,800 buses have been retrofitted with the open stroller area, with the rest to be installed by the end of the year.
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How New York City plans to crack down on illegal e-bikes and scooters

Photo by Thomas Loizeau on Unsplash

August 6, 2026

How New York City plans to crack down on illegal e-bikes and scooters

By Devin Gannon

More than a dozen new bills will be introduced in the New York City Council this fall that aim to curb illegal electric bikes and scooters, one week after a 17-year-old riding an illegal motorized bike was hit and killed by an SUV. Speaker Julie Menin and several other council members announced plans to hold a hearing on September 30 on e-bike and e-scooter safety. Menin also released a list of 17 bills to be considered next month, including legislation that bans class 3 bikes traveling at 25 miles per hour, requires more rider data from third-party delivery apps, increases enforcement, and creates a task force to study street design, among others.
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MTA is auctioning off MetroCard vending machines

By Tdorante10 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Via Wikimedia

August 5, 2026

MTA is auctioning off MetroCard vending machines

By Devin Gannon

The sturdy steel vending machines with giant buttons and colorful hardware that spit out MetroCards to commuting New Yorkers for 30 years are now a thing of the past, with the ubiquitous rollout of OMNY. But some transit enthusiasts can relive the glory days of the devices: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday said it is auctioning off a limited number of MetroCard Vending Machines and MetroCard Express Machines. Note that the winning bidder must pick up the machines, which weigh over 1,000 pounds, themselves.
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Vending machines to replace vacant newsstands at 26 NYC subway stations

Credit: CC Vending II

July 30, 2026

Vending machines to replace vacant newsstands at 26 NYC subway stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

New vending machines will be installed at over two dozen New York City subway stations as a modern alternative to traditional newsstands that have dwindled over the years. CC Vending will open automated, cashless retail spaces that will sell drinks, snacks, and everyday essentials as part of a partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Coca-Cola. The initial rollout will bring 60 machines to 26 high-traffic stations, with the first now operating at the Second Avenue-East Houston, 23rd Street-Broadway, and 116th Street-Lexington Avenue stations.
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