Dec. 17, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon New Yorkers in the outer boroughs frustrated with poor bus service may soon breathe a small sigh of relief as dozens of buses will increase service next year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday. The governor said that the MTA, the state agency that runs the public buses…
Dec. 17, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon Queens residents are in for extra rides, as the MTA announced on Tuesday a long-awaited redesign plan for local bus routes that the agency hopes will make commuting easier for borough-wide straphangers. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the borough’s 800,000 daily riders will get a more…
Dec. 16, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon The MTA’s Transit and Bus Committee voted Monday to add more than 400 new R211 subway cars, including dozens of “open-gangway” cars, to its fleet of trains in NYC. Transit authority officials said that by early 2025, at least two open-gangway trains, which allow passengers to walk between…
Dec. 15, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon and Lloyd Mitchell It’s not birds. It’s not planes. It’s drones, drones and more drones filling the night skies over New York City and beyond — and no one seems to have a concrete answer why. The mysterious drone sightings began more than two weeks ago in NYC…
Dec. 15, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon NYC’s reduced-fare public transit riders now have access to OMNY, replacing the MetroCard as their only way to receive the discount, MTA officials announced on Friday. Reduced fare customers, including seniors ages 65 and older and New Yorkers with disabilities, represent the MTA’s largest customer base to receive…
Dec. 12, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon One of Queens’ busiest subway stations is now accessible for all New Yorkers. MTA officials ceremonially opened on Thursday the fully accessible Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City, making the 110-year-old station easier to navigate for those with disabilities, caregivers with strollers and straphangers who carry a lot…
Dec. 11, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon Dozens of New Yorkers fed up with reckless e-vehicle riders gathered outside City Hall on Wednesday, demanding licenses for mopeds and e-bikes in NYC. Queens City Council Member Robert Holden spotlighted his 2023 bill, Priscilla’s Law, named after Priscilla Loke, who died after being struck by an e-bike in Manhattan’s…
Dec. 10, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon Get ’em while you still can! The MTA is now selling limited edition MetroCards featuring iconic New York content creators through a partnership with social media giant Instagram. The new cards are the last of their kind as the state agency moves toward using OMNY, a contactless way…
Dec. 5, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon Congestion pricing will dent the wallets of many New Yorkers, but the MTA explained Thursday low-income drivers may qualify for a reduced fare to enter Manhattan south of and including 60th Street. MTA officials said during a congestion pricing webinar on Thursday that low-income vehicle owners can apply…
Dec. 2, 2024 By Barbara Russo-Lennon New Yorkers have less than six months to get their federally compliant REAL ID or Enhanced ID/driver’s license from the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). By May 7, 2025, all New Yorkers must have one of these IDs — usually in the form of a driver’s license…