Transit

MTA suspends use of Twitter for service alerts, calls the platform ‘unreliable’

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

April 28, 2023

MTA suspends use of Twitter for service alerts, calls the platform ‘unreliable’

New York City commuters will no longer be able to check Twitter for service alerts. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday suspended the use of Twitter for posting service alerts, stating that the social media platform's reliability "can no longer be guaranteed." The transit agency's Twitter access through its application programming interface (API) was "involuntarily interrupted" twice in the last two weeks on April 14 and April 27.
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300 NYC blocks to go car-free under this year’s ‘Open Streets’ program

The 31st Avenue Open Street in Astoria is 100% run by volunteer residents. Photo courtesy of the 31st Avenue Open Street Collective

April 25, 2023

300 NYC blocks to go car-free under this year’s ‘Open Streets’ program

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly 300 blocks across New York City will be closed to cars as part of the city's 2023 Open Streets program, the Department of Transportation announced this Earth Day. This year's program will have roughly 160 open streets, including more than 25 new locations. The program also features new redesigns of existing locations that prioritize pedestrians and cyclists and will "evolve beyond the need for metal barriers." While the final list of open streets is still being finalized, many are expected to launch by July 1.
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NYC subway tops 4 million daily riders for the first time since March 2020

Photo by(vincent desjardins) on Flickr

April 24, 2023

NYC subway tops 4 million daily riders for the first time since March 2020

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the New York City subway system served more than four million riders in a single day. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced the NYC subway system recorded 4,002,961 paid riders on April 20, the highest tally reached since March 12, 2020. OMNY, the transit system's contactless fare system, also set a single-day subway record on Thursday with 1,699,914 taps, representing 42.5 percent of the day's subway rides.
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New NYC subway announcements recorded by children with autism

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

April 12, 2023

New NYC subway announcements recorded by children with autism

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City subway commuters will be guided by announcements recorded by young New Yorkers in recognition of World Autism Awareness Month. To bring attention to the millions of people living with autism worldwide, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and INCLUDEnyc invited children with autism to record subway announcements that both encourage straphangers to follow transit rules and remind them of Autism Awareness Month. The recordings are playing in select subway stations through Sunday, April 30.
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NYC will create 20 ‘micro’ delivery hubs this summer to reduce truck traffic

Photo by carlfbagge on Flickr

April 10, 2023

NYC will create 20 ‘micro’ delivery hubs this summer to reduce truck traffic

By Aaron Ginsburg

Starting this summer, New York City will create new hubs to make package delivery more sustainable and efficient, while also reducing truck congestion. As part of a pilot program announced by the Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, the new "microhubs" include dedicated curbside or off-street locations for trucks to unload packages onto smaller, energy-efficient vehicles or human-powered transportation like bikes and hand carts that will bring deliveries to their destination.
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NYC to host largest-ever car-free Earth Day celebration

Photo courtesy of the New York City Department of Transportation on Flickr

April 5, 2023

NYC to host largest-ever car-free Earth Day celebration

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is marking Earth Day with its largest car-free celebration yet. The city's Department of Transportation's annual Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day event connects 100 open streets across the city, 22 plazas, and over 1,000 miles of the five borough's bike network to promote environmental activism and sustainable forms of transportation. This year's celebration will be held on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and include seven separate signature event locations and 23 community-produced locations featuring live performances, fitness instruction, giveaways, and educational programming.
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What New Yorkers should know about Trump’s arraignment in NYC

Photo by Ajay Suresh on Wikimedia

April 3, 2023

What New Yorkers should know about Trump’s arraignment in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time in history, a president of the United States has been charged with a crime. After arriving in Manhattan on Monday night, former President Donald Trump will travel from Trump Tower in Midtown to the office of the Manhattan district attorney to surrender to authorities and be arraigned at a Lower Manhattan courthouse. Swarms of media personnel and protestors are expected to line up to witness the historic event. Here's what New Yorkers should know about how New York City has prepared for Tuesday, including possible street closures and other security plans.
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A Queens-themed photo installation is now on view at JFK Airport

Photo courtesy of JFKIAT

March 31, 2023

A Queens-themed photo installation is now on view at JFK Airport

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new digital art installation in JFK Airport's Terminal 4 explores what "home" means to New Yorkers. The T4 Arts & Culture program partnered with the Museum of the City of New York to bring New York Now: Home, the first installation of an ongoing photography series at the museum that debuted this month, to the terminal. The 15 images now on display throughout Terminal 4 were either created by an artist with a connection to Queens or who make the borough the subject of their work.
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NYC to launch new hybrid ferry to Governors Island

Renderings courtesy of the Elliott Bay Design Group

March 30, 2023

NYC to launch new hybrid ferry to Governors Island

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's first-ever public hybrid-electric ferry will set sail next summer. Revealed on Wednesday by Mayor Eric Adams and the Trust for Governors Island, the new vessel uses a hybrid propulsion system that drastically reduces air pollution, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 600 tons per year, according to a press release. The ferry will start carrying passengers between Lower Manhattan and Governors Island in the summer of 2024.
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Transit

Ride a vintage subway car to Yankee Stadium for the home opener

Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

March 30, 2023

Ride a vintage subway car to Yankee Stadium for the home opener

By Devin Gannon

Yankee fans headed to the team's home opener on Thursday can arrive in the Bronx in style. The New York Transit Museum will run its historic 1917 IRT Lo-V train and the beloved Train of Many Colors from Grand Central-42nd Street to 161st-Street Yankee Stadium. The trains will depart at 11 a.m. sharp, giving eager baseball fanatics plenty of time before the first pitch at 1:05 p.m.
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MTA to install dedicated stroller spaces on over 1,000 NYC buses across 57 routes

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week announced it would begin the second phase of its Open Stroller Pilot, expanding its dedicated stroller spaces to over 1,000 buses on 57 routes across the five boroughs. The program will equip all local and select buses operating out of six bus depots with dedicated stroller spaces by the fall of 2023.
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7-mile Harlem River Greenway expansion connects Randall’s Island to Van Cortlandt Park

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 22, 2023

7-mile Harlem River Greenway expansion connects Randall’s Island to Van Cortlandt Park

By Devin Gannon

New York City is expanding the Harlem River Greenway to the Bronx. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced plans for a seven-mile continuous walking and biking path linking Randall's Island and Van Cortlandt Park. The new greenway aims to reconnect Bronxites to the Harlem River waterfront, which has been largely inaccessible since the construction of the Major Deegan Expressway in the 1930s.
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NYC to lift ban on e-bikes in city parks this summer

Image courtesy of Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

March 22, 2023

NYC to lift ban on e-bikes in city parks this summer

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers will soon be able to ride electric bikes and scooters in New York City parks legally. As part of a pilot program starting this summer, the city's Department of Parks and Recreation will drop its current ban on certain electric vehicles on park drives and greenways, lifting a rule that conflicts with state laws. The pilot program is one part of a plan unveiled by Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday aimed at promoting the safe usage of e-bikes and other electric micro-mobility devices and preventing fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
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Image via WikiCommons

March 16, 2023

New York lawmakers call for $2.75 fare freeze and free bus pilot in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York lawmakers on Tuesday proposed keeping New York City subway and bus fares at $2.75. As first reported by Crain's New York, the state legislature's one-house budgets rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to raise transit fares to $3, and instead called for a freeze on fares and an investment of $50 million for a free bus pilot program.
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Plans for AirTrain to LaGuardia have been scrapped

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

March 14, 2023

Plans for AirTrain to LaGuardia have been scrapped

By Aaron Ginsburg

Plans to build an AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport are officially dead after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Monday released the results of a 17-month-long analysis of mass transit options to the Queens airport. A panel of experts recommended the Port Authority abandon the proposed 1.5-mile elevated rail line and instead move forward with improving existing bus service and adding a new non-stop airport shuttle. Estimated costs for the bus options are just under $500 million, according to the report, compared to estimates of between $2.4 billion and $6.2 billion for light rail options.
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Upper West Side rejects proposed rest hub for delivery workers

Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius on Flickr

March 9, 2023

Upper West Side rejects proposed rest hub for delivery workers

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Upper West Side voted against a proposed rest stop for delivery workers on 72nd Street and Broadway, as first reported by Gothamist. During a public hearing Tuesday, Manhattan Community Board 7 voted 27-8 against the transformation of an empty newsstand into a charging station for delivery workers.
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City pilot will add more pedestrian space to Prospect Park’s roadway

Photo by Prabu Vasan for Prospect Park Alliance

March 8, 2023

City pilot will add more pedestrian space to Prospect Park’s roadway

By Aaron Ginsburg

Prospect Park's main roadway is getting a revamp. The Prospect Park Alliance and the Department of Transportation on Tuesday released the results of a year-long study of Prospect Park Drive, a busy loop within the park for pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists. Conducted by leading traffic consultancy Sam Schwartz, the NYC Parks Department, and DOT, the study analyzed crash data, roadway grade, pedestrian count, and other metrics to determine ways to improve the roadway. As a result of the study, the city is piloting adding a second lane on the outside of the drive, which would limit the need for crossings and prevent collisions.
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New express ferry service takes commuters from Bay Ridge to Wall Street in 20 minutes

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

February 28, 2023

New express ferry service takes commuters from Bay Ridge to Wall Street in 20 minutes

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new pilot program launching next month will speed up trips for South Brooklyn residents commuting to Manhattan. Starting March 8, the NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route will take weekday riders from Bay Ridge to Wall Street in roughly 20 minutes as part of a "Faster Connections" pilot. The new express service operates between 6:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. on weekdays.
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Full LIRR service begins at Grand Central Madison

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermnan / MTA on Flickr

February 27, 2023

Full LIRR service begins at Grand Central Madison

By Aaron Ginsburg

Grand Central Madison finally opened with full Long Island Rail Road service on Monday, with a totally new schedule for commuters and a 41 percent increase in service levels. Starting February 27, an additional 271 LIRR trains per day have been added to the system for a total of up to 936 trains per day; 296 of these trains will be traveling to and from Grand Central Madison, with the remaining to Penn Station. According to officials, the new terminal will make commutes for LIRR riders up to 40 minutes shorter.
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Final phase of JFK Airport’s $18 billion transformation kicks off with groundbreaking of Terminal 6

Renderings courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

February 24, 2023

Final phase of JFK Airport’s $18 billion transformation kicks off with groundbreaking of Terminal 6

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction has officially begun on the new $4.2 billion Terminal 6 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, marking the final project of the airport's $18 billion transformation. The 1.2 million square foot, state-of-the-art terminal will include 10 new gates and a new home for JetBlue and create 4,000 new jobs, including 1,800 union construction jobs. The first new gates at the terminal will open in 2026, with a completion date scheduled for 2028.
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Renovated pedestrian and bike path opens on north side of George Washington Bridge

All photos courtesy of PANYNJ

February 14, 2023

Renovated pedestrian and bike path opens on north side of George Washington Bridge

By Aaron Ginsburg

The pedestrian and bike path on the north side of the George Washington Bridge opened on Tuesday following a renovation and accessibility upgrades. The project, led by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, included widening approach paths, bigger entry plazas, and removing stairs that prevented access to cyclists and users with mobility challenges. The upgraded north walk also features two new viewing platforms, one on the New York side and one on the New Jersey side.
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Transit

February 14, 2023

Tours of NYC’s old City Hall subway station return this spring

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a three-year pandemic hiatus, in-person tours of New York City's abandoned City Hall subway station are returning this spring. The station, which is where the first ever subway ride departed in 1904, has been decommissioned since the 1940s. The New York Transit Museum has exclusive access to the station and offers 90-minute tours that explore its ornate vaulted Guastavino tiled ceilings, chandeliers, and skylights. Tickets will go on sale this March and are only available to members of the museum.
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See the new customer service centers replacing token booths at NYC subway stations

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

February 9, 2023

See the new customer service centers replacing token booths at NYC subway stations

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week unveiled its new "customer service centers," which are replacing the glass token booths seen at every subway station. Station agents at the new centers will help commuters switch to OMNY, apply for the Reduced Fare program, and generally navigate the system. The new stalls are part of the MTA's plan to change the duties of subway station agents, who once managed cash and subway tokens from inside the locked booth. Now, in addition to the workers stationed at the centers, agents will walk around the stations.
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Transit

NYC begins citywide expansion of on-street carshare parking program

Photo: NYC DOT via Flickr

February 8, 2023

NYC begins citywide expansion of on-street carshare parking program

By Michelle Cohen

New York City's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Tuesday the installation of 80 new dedicated curbside parking spaces that will be reserved for carshare vehicles throughout the city. The parking spots are part of a program intended to increase access to convenient carshare vehicles after a successful five-year pilot was shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and personal car ownership. Over the next two weeks, signs for the dedicated parking spaces will be installed across Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens.
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New open gangway subway cars to debut on the A and C lines this year

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

February 6, 2023

New open gangway subway cars to debut on the A and C lines this year

By Devin Gannon

Starting this year, commuters on the A and C subway lines will be able to easily walk from one train car to the next. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week unveiled one of the "open gangway" subway cars, which are undergoing testing and are expected to carry passengers by the end of the year. The open gangway cars, which feature accordion-like walls that connect the entire train, are part of an order that includes 535 subway and Staten Island Railway R211 cars, 20 of which will have the open gangway design.
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