AMNY Subway Tracker

(via flickr's ultraclay!)

New York City Transit ended 2007 with a thud. The last of the agency's rider report card grades were tallied, leaving the 22 subway lines with C or D grades. More than 90,000 people graded their lines, with train wait times and crowding often topping the list of complaints. At least two lines, the L and No. 7, will be graded again this spring when officials check with riders on how well the new presidents of those lines are doing.
[Daily News]

Upper East Side businesses complained to the New York Post that construction of the Second Avenue Subway is keeping customers away. The project has cut down sidewalk space and put up customer-unfriendly barricades. The city and state may offer financial help to the owners.

Streetsblog gave out awards for best and worst in 2007 transportation. The MTA's real-time bus status signs won for best bus project while DOT's painted bus lanes received honorable mention.

(via flickr's arimoore)

Most transit riders may be hit by higher than expected fare hikes next year, the Post reports. By halting the hike of the $2 base fare, Gov. Eliot Spitzer may force the MTA to boost weekly and monthly passes by 6 percent. The proposed pass hike in July would have increased the cards by 4 percent.

Police found the man who police say killed a cabby in a road rage incident Tuesday. Luis Flores is accused of running over Mohamed El Waleed, 44, after the two crashed, the Post reports. El Waleed, who will be buried in his homeland of Sudan, is the 1,672nd taxi driver killed worldwide this year, according to the Taxi Driver Memoriam List.

(via flickr's nicknormal)

Bueller? The Daily News reports that MTA board members half-heartedly showed up to fare hike hearings with attendance rates at 50 percent or less. Board members get transcripts of every meeting, but transit advocates said no shows send a bad message to the public burdened with a hike. Andrew Saul, a board member who's in favor of the hike, didn't show up to any public hearings.

Cheap trip. A Port Authority survey shows that a majority of commuters who pay tolls to cross the Hudson River make six-figure salaries, the Post reports. What's more, almost a third of Lincoln Tunnel commuters earn more than $200,000. The survey was done as the Authority mulls over possible toll hikes.

(via flickr's juknevij)

Train tragedy. The Associated Press reported that a man who was struck and killed by a NJ Transit train may have been intoxicated. The man fell or jumped onto the tracks at the New Brunswick station early this morning. He refused the help of several people and at the last minute, tried to get off the tracks but was hit.

Be on the lookout. In other grim news, police are looking for a man who pushed a train operator onto subway tracks, NY1 reports. The motorman was seriously injured. His attacker is about 35-years-old, clean-shaven, about 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds.

Ford's flub. The Taxi and Limousine Commission head honcho was featured in an on-line Ford commercial, touting the company's hybrid vehicles. The mayor announced earlier this year that all taxis woud be hybrid by 2012, and the commercial could be seen as a conflict of interest, the Daily News reports. Matthew Daus, the TLC commissioner, said he was told he was being interviewed for a documentary. Ford apologized for the "mistake."

(via MTA's Web site)

Cityroom reports on an MTA board member romantically linked to Paul McCartney, at least that's what the British tabloids say. Nancy Shevell and McCartney were reportedly seen together last weekend in the Hamptons. This week, Shevell showed up mid-hearing as Brooklynites railed on the MTA's proposal to hike the fare.

About 30 PATH train passengers were injured after a motorman stopped the train heading to the World Trade Center station this afternoon. The train came to a stop with a "powerful jolt," WNBC reports, and 10 passengers had to be carted out by emergency personnel at the Journal Square station while 20 others received minor injuries.

The Gothamist reports on the PATH and on a No. 5 train passenger looking for the girl of his dreams just after the line was coincidentally the scene of sexual assaults.

Cameras scratch out crime. Video cameras on city buses helped catch after school scratchiti vandals last month. About 124 buses are equipped with cameras installed to help investigate accidents. [New York Post]

Ripping off the MTA. The Daily News revisited a city comptroller's report that showed the MTA is missing out on millions as the state and city fails to fully reimburse the agency for discounted student passes. Legislators are holding a press conference on legislation that would fully fund the pass program before a fare hike public hearing tonight.

Right on schedule. The New York Times extolls on the propensity for fare hikes to fall in the beginning of a governor's term. Each time a new governor is elected, a hike is approved within the first year of his inauguration.

Troubled bridge. Politicians are set to sue the MTA to stop the ongoing Verrazano-Narrows Bridge construction work. The project causes congestion and grueling commutes. [Metro]

Un-fare pay? NY1 notes a Post report on transit workers taking home record overtime pay as straphangers are faced with a fare hike next year.

Trip planning on the go. The New York Post and NY1 report that the MTA is testing a mobile version of it's trip planner Web service. Straphangers with Web browser-enabled phones or PDAs can access the point-to-point mobile directions at tripplanner.mta.info/mobile.

Fare debate. The New York Post reports that Straphangers pay less than other cities across the globe. Folks in London pay a $3 discount rate while Parisians pay $2.45, making the average fare in New York ($1.29) seem like a bargain. However the Daily News details a federal report that says New York City Transit fares cover a larger percentage of operating costs than straphangers in other major cities like Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.

(via flickr's dnblog1)

Non member. MTA Chairman nominee Dale Hemmerdinger quit a private social club after his membership became an issue at his nomination hearing last week, the New York Times reports. The Harmonie Club has drawn criticism for its lack of diversity. Mayor Michael Bloomberg pulled his membership during his first mayoral campaign.

Not so far. The MTA announced that it would scale back a project to extend the No. 7 line to the west because of cost concerns. The agency received one bid for the project and will vote on the billion-dollar contract this week. [New York Times]

On alert. New York City Transit is now alerting straphangers when their line will be disrupted during the week. A new service will send e-mails about scheduled service disruptions and delays. The agency already sent e-mails about weekend disruptions. [NY1]

(via Transit Museum Store Online)

Line loyalty. City Room compares popularity of Transit Museum subway line paraphernalia to ridership on the lines. Straphanger loyalty doesn't always fuel the museum's most popular items. Other factors include shoppers' initials and children's ages.

Lane wars. Streetsblog points out that the new-fangled Chelsea bike lane that will eventually protect bicyclists from parked cars and traffic has succumbed to...parked trucks as DOT continues to construct it.

High tech help. The Daily News' Michael Daly points out that the controversial GPS systems being installed in cabs could be tweaked to monitor speed of cabs, most particularly the cab that careened into a 60-year-old veteran TV news chopper pilot on Sunday. The driver of that cab said he wasn't speeding--though police say he was. Members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance have expressed worries that the GPS system they'll protest in a strike later this month could track their cabs for speeding just over the limit and aid traffic tickets GPS-less vehicles wouldn't face.

The New York Times reports that expanded bus and subway service to accommodate new riders who leave their cars when congestion pricing takes effect will cost $767 over the next five years. Federal funds would cover some of the initial costs, but the agency expects revenues from congestion pricing fees would continue to fund the improvements.

Even with text alerts about delays on commuter railroads, the message itself can experience delays getting to passengers who want to know. The Times also reports on a rider-generated service that has helped New Jersey Transit commuters through transit snares.

The New York Post details the MTAs plans to expand tap-and-go credit and bank cards on buses. The MTA previously announced the agency will study the future of the MetroCard machine.

The Daily News reports that the mayor wants the MTA to install security cameras on buses in trains. The idea came from Michael Bloomberg's London trip where he checked out London's anti-terrorism security technology.

The MTA leased an Upper East Side apartment on its quest to find affordable housing for tenants who will be displaced during the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway. The agency will destroy four apartment buildings during the project and must relocate tenants to apartments with similar rents, Metro reports.

(via flickr's bondgirl53001)

Newsday reports that an evaluation of the Long Island Rail Road shows the commuter rail's customer service has improved, but critical problems remain. The rail's fleet of trains and skyrocketing accidents because of the gap are among the problems needing immediate attention.

The Post reports that one bidder to develop the West Side rail yards would bring in a "people mover" to take folks from the West Side to Penn Station. It would "compliment" the No. 7 Line extension.

The Post also reports that the city transportation department will make Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn more pedestrian friendly. The agency will create more pedestrian islands, crosswalks and a bike path.

The Second Avenue Subway's expected $1.3 billion in funding for it's first phase was cemented in Washington today. From a release:

The Federal Transit Administration has informed Congress that it will approve a full-funding grant agreement for the Second Avenue Subway, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Governor Eliot Spitzer, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced today. The New Yorkers hailed this crucial investment in New York City’s transportation system, which is expected to provide about $1.3 billion in federal funds to build the first leg of the subway project.

Council Members Jessica Lappin and Alan Gerson hope to curb illegal bicycling on sidewalks with city legislation introduced today. The bill seeks to fine owners of businesses if their delivery personnel ride on the sidewalk.
From a release:

Transferring the fine from the rider to the business affiliated with that delivery person will hold business owners responsible for the actions of their delivery personnel. This will encourage restaurants and messenger services to adequately train their riders, protecting both the commercial cyclists and the public at large.

In other City Council news, the transportation committee pushed through two bills today. From a release:

The first bill - Intro 430-A, sponsored by Council Member
Liu - would allow authorized commuter vans to be more easily
identified by the riding public and law enforcement, and help prevent
the proliferation of illegal dollar vans that operate without proper
licenses and insurance. The second bill - Intro 581-A, sponsored by
Council Member Joseph Addabbo, Jr. - would require critical traffic
signs to be fixed within three business days after being reported
missing or fallen into disrepair.

The Times reports that Park Avenue could become pedestrian-safe in an area that's been deprived of walk signs for years. Just north of Grand Central, 10 blocks could no longer be a pedestrian's guessing game.

Streetsblog and the Times report that a stretch of 9th Avenue in Chelsea is set to become a bicyclist's dream. The city DOT is buffering traffic from a bike lane by moving parking spots away from the sidewalk. The bike lane would have the curb to one side and potted plants and parked cars on the other.

LOOK OUT! The city transportation department announced a new bicycle safety campaign that tells drivers to look out for bicyclists.

Created pro-bono by the international advertising agency Publicis in Seattle, the LOOK campaign aims to prevent collisions between motorists and cyclists by educating the public about bicycle safety and encouraging cars and bikes to share the road. LOOK campaign advertisements will run on bus stop shelters, bus tails, phone kiosks, taxi tops, at gas stations and on postcards that will be placed in restaurants around the city. The ads will also be featured in Time Out NY and New York Magazine and radio advertisements will be broadcast on local stations.
The LOOK campaign was developed for the NYC Bicycle Safety Coalition following the 2006 release of the first comprehensive analysis of bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries in New York City. The report showed that nearly all fatal crashes were the result of poor driving or bicycle riding behavior, particularly driver inattention and disregarding traffic signals and signs. This LOOK campaign was designed to combat that. In addition to improving motorist and cyclist awareness, the City, last year, committed to doubling the number of on-street bicycle lanes and paths in three years, improving data collection, analysis and reporting of bicycle injuries, and increasing enforcement to keep cars from parking in bicycle lanes.

SECURITY AUTHORITY. The Port Authority opened up 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues again. The block was closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic after the Sept. 11 attacks. After shoring up the building with $100 million in security work, decided its safe to allow traffic through once again.

COFFEE TRAIN. Metro North's Hastings Station will host a cafe someday. From the MTA:

Hastings Station, a century old, classical brick building, is being leased to long-time Rivertowns resident, Avi Schwartz, who plans to open a cafe.
The waiting room, with its oak benches and wainscoting, iron chandelier and marble baseboards will remain open to the public under the terms of the 10-year lease.
Schwartz of Dobbs Ferry plans a menu that will revolve around "the perfect cup of coffee." The Hastings Station Cafe will serve cappuccino, espresso and other coffees made from beans ground and roasted at a specialty New England roaster, freshly baked breads and pastries, salads and sandwiches. He also plans to operate a small newsstand and to maintain the honor-system book rack that is under the auspices of the Hastings Public Library.

The New York Post polled taxi passengers on the technology that drove cabbies to strike. Passengers told the Post the backseat television screens are loud and annoying. Cab owners choose one of four companies' version of the screen and at least one allows passengers better control of the volume.

New York 1 reports that the 7 line extension project will include platform doors similar to the AirTrain doors. The doors will keep people from falling onto the tracks and keep the platforms' temperature regulated.

(via flickr's herr_muenchen)

Talk the walk. Avid walkers dish on their love affair with ambling around the city.
[New York Times]

Suits may take the city to the cleaners. The same sewer system that officials blame for killing the transit system during heavy rains is the subject of numerous lawsuits, with Queens residents topping the litigious list.
[New York Post]

Follow the brick red road. The city is painting bus lanes in the Bronx, hoping a red stretch of street will keep cars from parking and blocking buses.
[Daily News]

Water coolers back on track. Transit Workers complained about smelly and funny looking water coming from their water coolers, but the water is again clean and safe to drink.
[New York Post]

Teley-commute. The Port Authority may install television screens by PATH train doors. Commuters will be able to check departure times and delays, and keep up with news and entertainment programming.
[New York Times]

In case you were wondering... That was indeed a tornado yeterday, a Category 2. That means between 111 and 135 miles an hour winds went sailing through Brooklyn windows. While its the first in Brooklyn's recorded history, Staten Island also shares the misfortune. One touched down there in 2003.
[New York Times]

Big Apple weather guessers. Where was the National Weather Service, many are asking after the service gave a two-minute warning that a tornado was on its way yesterday. Gov. Eliot Spitzer threw out an idea--New York should have its own warning system.
[Daily News]

If you think you had it bad.. A pregnant mom worried that her unborn baby may have died was literally left up a creek without a paddle in flooded Queens. That is, until rescuers came with a kayak.
[Daily News]

After the storm dumped on New York.. The cleanup began. Some unlucky Soho property owner may have had the dirtiest mess to deal with.
[Gothamist]

Service Alert

Posted on:8/8/2007 12:07:31 PM

Due to severe flooding throughout the subway system, there are extensive delays on all subway lines. Although buses are running with delays, customers are advised when at all possible to use bus service. The detours are as follows:

1 trains are suspended in both directions between the South Ferry Station and the 34th Street Station.

2 trains are suspended in both directions between the 34th Street-Penn Station and the Atlantic Avenue Station.

3 trains are suspended in both directions between the New Lots Avenue Station and the Harlem-148th Street Station.

4 trains are suspended in both directions between the 125th Street Station and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

5 trains are running shuttle train service in both directions between the East 180th Street Station and the Dyre Avenue Station.

6 trains are suspended in both directions between the 86th Street Station and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

7 trains are running with delays.

A trains are running local.

B trains are suspended in both directions between the Brighton Beach Station and the Bedford Park Boulevard Station.

C trains are suspended in both directions between the Euclid Avenue Station and the 168th Street Station.

D trains are suspended in both directions between the 145th Street Station and the Norwood-205th Street Station.

E trains are suspended in both directions between the 23rd Street-Ely Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

F trains are suspended in both directions between the Queens Plaza Station and the Jamaica-179th Street Station.

G trains are suspended in both directions between the Long Island City-Court Square Station and the 4th Avenue-9th Street Station.

V trains are suspended in both directions between the 2nd Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

S Franklin Avenue Shuttle trains are suspended in both directions between the Prospect Park Station and the Franklin Avenue Station.

S 42nd Street Shuttle trains are suspended in both directions between the Times Square-42nd Street Station and the Grand Central-42nd Street Station.

J trains are running with residual delays.

L trains are running with residual delays.

N trains are running with residual delays.

M trains are suspended in both directions between the Broad Street Station and the Bay Parkway Station.

Q trains are suspended in both directions between the Kings Highway Station and the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station.

R trains are suspended in both directions between the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

W trains are suspended in both directions between the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station and the Whitehall Street Station.

In addition, due to a police investigation at the Sterling Street Station, there is no service on Wakefield-bound 2 trains between the Brooklyn College-Flatbush Avenue Station and the Atlantic Avenue Station. Also, Brooklyn College-Flatbush Avenue-bound 2 are trains running on the 4 line from the Franklin Avenue Station to the Crown Heights-Utica Avenue Station.

Take a lunch "break" on your stoop.
The MTA is still advising people to hang out at home before heading to work. As the lunch hour approaches, a spokesperson couldn't say how much longer people should wait to let the wet rails dry.
"There's no ETA," Charles Seaton said.
Even those closest to the tracks, the conductors and announcers, were unclear how much longer the delays would linger. A late morning C train announcement at 34th Street said: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is 34th Street Penn Station. Transfer is available--hopefully--to the A express, New Jersey Transit and Long Island Railroad."
Passenger Jerry Grange was hoping for something other than a transfer. He was hoping for some understanding at his Chambers Street job as an office manager.
At 9:30 a.m., he said, no C trains were coming.
"The C is always late," he said. "It's the worst line, but it was so bad today, I went back home."
He called his work once there and again at the 116th Street stop in Harlem to warn his work he may have to take a paid day off. Just after that call, a packed train pulled into the station. Grange jumped on, two hours late for work.
The MTA's Web site is slow and sometimes down as hoards of commuters check to see if their train line is out. If you can't get on, the latest (alleged) update as of 11:18 a.m. is this:

Service Alert

Posted on:8/8/2007 11:18:02 AM

Due to severe flooding throughout the subway system, there are extensive delays on all subway lines. Customers are advised when at all possible to use bus service. The detours are as follows:

There is no 1 train service in both directions between the South Ferry Station and the 34th Street Station.

There is no 2 train service in both directions between the Penn Station-34th Street Station and the Atlantic Avenue Station.

There is no 3 train service in both directions between the New Lots Station and the Harlem-148th Street Station.

There is no 4 train service in both directiions between the 125th Street and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

5 trains are running shuttle in both directions between the East 180th Street Station and the Dyre Avenue Station.

There is no 6 train service in both directions between the 86th Street Station and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

7 trains are running with delays.

A trains are running local.

B trains are suspended in both directions between the Brighton Beach Station and the Bedford Park Boulevard Station.

There is no C train service in both directions between the Euclid Avenue Station and the 168th Street Station.

There is no D train service in both directions between the 145th Street Station and the Norwood-205th Street Station.

There is no E train service in both directions between the 23rd street-Ely Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

There is no F train service in both directions between the Queens Plaza Station and the Jamaica-179th Street Station.

There is no G train service in both directions between the Long Island City-Court Square Station and the 4th Avenue-9th Street Station.

There is no V train service in both directions between the 2nd Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

There is no Franklin Avenue Shuttle S train service in both directions between the Prospect Park Station and the Franklin Avenue Station.

There is no 42nd Street Shuttle S train service in both directions between the Times Square-42nd Street Station and the Grand Central-42nd Street Station.

J trains are running with residual delays.

There is no M train service in both directions between the Broad Street Station and the Bay Parkway Station.

There is no Q train service in both directions between the Kings Highway Station and the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station.

There is no R train service in both directions between the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

The MTA's Web site is slow and sometimes down as hoards of commuters check to see if their train line is out. If you can't get on, the latest (alleged) update as of 11:18 a.m. is this:

Service Alert

Posted on:8/8/2007 11:18:02 AM

Due to severe flooding throughout the subway system, there are extensive delays on all subway lines. Customers are advised when at all possible to use bus service. The detours are as follows:

There is no 1 train service in both directions between the South Ferry Station and the 34th Street Station.

There is no 2 train service in both directions between the Penn Station-34th Street Station and the Atlantic Avenue Station.

There is no 3 train service in both directions between the New Lots Station and the Harlem-148th Street Station.

There is no 4 train service in both directiions between the 125th Street and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

5 trains are running shuttle in both directions between the East 180th Street Station and the Dyre Avenue Station.

There is no 6 train service in both directions between the 86th Street Station and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

7 trains are running with delays.

A trains are running local.

B trains are suspended in both directions between the Brighton Beach Station and the Bedford Park Boulevard Station.

There is no C train service in both directions between the Euclid Avenue Station and the 168th Street Station.

There is no D train service in both directions between the 145th Street Station and the Norwood-205th Street Station.

There is no E train service in both directions between the 23rd street-Ely Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

There is no F train service in both directions between the Queens Plaza Station and the Jamaica-179th Street Station.

There is no G train service in both directions between the Long Island City-Court Square Station and the 4th Avenue-9th Street Station.

There is no V train service in both directions between the 2nd Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

There is no Franklin Avenue Shuttle S train service in both directions between the Prospect Park Station and the Franklin Avenue Station.

There is no 42nd Street Shuttle S train service in both directions between the Times Square-42nd Street Station and the Grand Central-42nd Street Station.

J trains are running with residual delays.

There is no M train service in both directions between the Broad Street Station and the Bay Parkway Station.

There is no Q train service in both directions between the Kings Highway Station and the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station.

There is no R train service in both directions between the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

Mayoral commute. The Times walked its readers through a history of mayors as straphangers. Sometimes their commute was for show, others for necessity and, for some, largely nonexistent.
[New York Times]

Excuse it. A cruise ship temporarily disrupted West Side Highway traffic after bumping into a pier. No one was injured, but the ship was damaged.
[Gothamist]

Comfy city streets. Streetsblog reports that a well-known urban planner will be consulting for the mayor's PlaNYC program. Jan Gehl already suggests making pedestrians more comfortable with street furnature among other things.
[Streetsblog]

Call 911. The MTA may cut medical staffers who help sick passengers in the subway system. As part of way to balance the budget, the agency predicts it can save $250,000 by cutting the EMTs in 2009.
[Daily News]

Happy hour. The city DOT is giving park goers one more hour without cars whizzing down Central Park's West Drive.
[Streetsblog]

Congestion Pricing is still on the drawing board, the AP reports. All is not lost. The federal government is keeping New York in line for $500 million to jump start a congestion pricing plan and to improve mass transit options. A commission will convene and decide how to implement the plan. The legislature will approve it and if and when tolls will start.

(via fickr's efortuna)

That is the question. If congestion pricing is to be is up for debate today. The mayor thanked the Assembly for missing out on $500 million from the federal government. But Assembly Democrats and the governor are still hammering out details of a congestion pricing plan, according to the latest AP report. The mayor always claimed that yesterday was a strict deadline from the U.S. Department of Transportation funds that could have bolstered mass transit and improved the environment.

Fast track to safer rails. New York City Transit will test out handheld devices to alert track workers of oncoming trains. The pilot program comes after two workers were struck and killed in April.
[Daily News]

Brodsky boo hoo. Streetsblog reports that Assemblyman Richard Brodsky is denouncing the assertion that he opposed the mayor's congestion pricing plan because he accepts money from the parking industry.
[Streetsblog]

Text message ban. Two legislators proposed a ban on drivers text messaging. Five teens died upstate last month after their SUV slammed into a truck. Police believe the teen driver was sending and receiving messages before the accident.
[Daily News]

(via Nuigurumi on Flickr)

Put the call through. Straphangers are excited to hear the MTA is going to make cell phone service possible on platforms.
[New York Post]

Park it! The city took out parking spots in Williamsburg to give bikers to rack up before they jump on the L train.
[Daily News]

Ticket price for parking. Some folks pay up to $225,000 for a parking spot in Manhattan.
[New York Times]

Hey Train. The MTA is moving forward with plans to make platforms cell phone friendly.
[New York Post]

Safeway. Crime in the subway is at a record low.
[Daily News]

Congestion fretting. Bloomberg stopped in Washington and later let New Yorkers know that the city is in first place for fuding of his plan but not yet at the finish line.
[Newsday]

--Marlene Naanes

(via mayor's and Brodsky's Web sites)

Bloomberg vs. Brodsky. At two press events the two politicians debated the pros and pitfalls of the mayor's congestion pricing plan.
[Newsday]

Times are a changin'. The Department of Transportation is trying to recruit a Danish architect to make Times Square less congested.
[Daily News]

Congestion plea. Mayor Michael Bloomberg begged Albany to hurry up and pass his congestion pricing plan before funding disappears.
[New York Post]

An answer? Investigators found the recorder of a helicopter that crashed in the Hudson Saturday. The device may help determine why the copter crashed.
[Daily News]

Congestion blues. A rival bill to the mayor's congestion pricing plan emerged yesterday, placing doubt on whether the city will grab half a billion in cash.
[New York Times]

--Marlene Naanes

(via plaque.free.fr)

Congestion surveillance. The NYPD said it will "most likely" collect information from license plate scanners used if Albany OK's the mayor's congestion pricing plan.
[New York Times]

Follow the green paved road. The city's transportation commissioner wants to use recycled materials to pave streets.
[New York Post]

MTA probe. The Post reports that the Justice Department is lookng into whether the MTA is violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
[New York Post]

Undercover in a wheelchair. A Post reporter jumped in a wheelchair to investigate how disabled riders endure the subways.
[New York Post]

--Marlene Naanes