NYC Magazine » MTA

Everything You Need To Know About The NYC Subway

Wendy — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:00:24 +0000

With 24 lines and 468 stations, it is easy to see why so many people ride the New York City Subway. Construction on the subway began in October of 1904, which makes it one of the oldest transportation systems in the world. It is also one of the most extensive subway systems in the world because of how much area it covers. Currently there is 842 miles of track all over the state of New York. In 2009, during the week an average of five million rides are given each day, while 2.9 million are given on Saturday and 2.2 million ...continue reading

MTA Drops Student MetroCard Cuts, Wants Bus Lane Cameras

Igor Derysh — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:53:25 +0000

MTA chief Jay Walder has been busy these last few weeks trying to sort out the department’s financial mess but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to squeeze another dollar out of taxpayers’ pockets.

According to NY1, the head of the MTA has been lobbying the state to authorize the installation of bus lane cameras that would snap pictures of cars that blocked the lane.

The cameras would be similar to the traffic light cameras that are in place all over the city now that snap a picture of your car if you run a red light ...continue reading

MTA Bus Drivers Get Added Protection…Sort Of

Igor Derysh — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:00:34 +0000

In response to the fatal stabbing of a B46 bus driver about a year ago, the MTA has begun to install partitions that would shield the driver from any potential danger…except not really.

The first 100 partitions have been installed on B46 buses as a way to test the effectiveness of the idea but just looking at photos of the partition it is hard to see how the glass barrier actual adds security.

The partition itself cover the area that until now was only protected by a metal bar that drivers had to pick up to leave ...continue reading

NYPD Pushing Ridiculous “Feet-on-Seat” Tickets in Subway

Igor Derysh — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:00:01 +0000

Just as the NYPD tried to tackle jaywalking a few years ago, cops are not stringently ticketing commuters (who are already being screwed by the MTA) for putting their feet up on train seats…even when train cars are nearly empty.

The Gothamist details how two people have received $50 fines for putting their feet up on seats nearby despite the fact that they did so on nearly empty cars after midnight.

One such case included a Fashion Institute of Technology student who received two fines on two consecutive days even though he did so at around 2:30 ...continue reading

Train Wreck: Awful MTA Announces Plan To Make Things Worse

Igor Derysh — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:30:50 +0000

It’s tough to be a state agency that is among the most financially irresponsible and then endure a nearly $400 million budget cut but that is exactly what is going on with the MTA who will now be passing its financial irresponsibility woes onto New Yorkers. Meanwhile, transit workers will get a huge 11%+ raise.

In the MTA doomsday plan which will now take effect because of budget cuts (but more so because Albany can’t do math), the MTA will begin to get rid of free student metrocards, cutting two subway lines and dozens of bus routes, and laying off hundreds of ...continue reading

MTA Cuts More Pay And Service

Yelena Mandenberg — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:22:48 +0000

The budget crisis in the MTA. is apparently deeper than we first thought. Though New Yorkers are being forced to pay crazy prices to ride public transportation, the MTA is going to slash the salaries of nearly 6,000 New Yorkers and cut service in order to fix the new gap of $340 million in the agency’s budget.

The cuts will take effect in April, according to the New York Times. They are planning to the W and Z lines, which are relatively minor, and waiting time will increase, particularly during the night, mid-day, weekends, evenings and late nights. The G and M ...continue reading

MTA Saga Continues: $343 Mil Short For 2010

Igor Derysh — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:00:07 +0000

After legislators told the MTA that they would have $143 million less to spend in 2010, it was discovered that the number would actually be $343 million thanks to a very costly error.

As the legislature began to make cuts for next year to cut the state’s massive deficit, the MTA was told that their budget would be cut by around $143 million, a lot more than the MTA had expected. Today, it was learned that the MTA would not receive as much money as once thought from the payroll tax associated with the bailout. $200 million less, ...continue reading

MTA Gets Budget Cut, Won’t Raise Fares Till 2011

Igor Derysh — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:08:50 +0000

As the state cuts the budget for every state agency (except the legislature, of course), the fiscally irresponsible MTA will have $140 million less to waste next year.

The agency got its budget slashed by $140 million under the state deficit reduction plan in the legislature, $30 million more than they had expected. Despite the cuts, MTA head Jay Walder has said that he wont raise fares this year and wait until 2011 when the fare is scheduled to go up by another 7.5 percent.

Instead, the MTA is expected to cut services and continuing to ...continue reading

MTA Continues Waste, Workers Get FT Pay For PT Hours

Igor Derysh — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:33:35 +0000

The MTA has been under the microscope for the last few years as their budget has been spread very thin and commuters have been asked to foot the bill for their complete and utter waste through higher fares. It appears that pressure to cut costs has not pushed the MTA to become more fiscally responsible and the Daily News reports that the agency has been paying workers who work part-time hours full-time wages.

The MTA has been doing a lot of track work since last year but only allows workers to work on outdoor tracks between 10:30 AM ...continue reading

Sexual Harassment on Trains and Busses Runs Rampant

Yelena Mandenberg — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:00:01 +0000

There have been several recent studies and reports that have brought to light new facts about sexual harassment on New York City busses and trains. These facts were mentioned this Thursday, during a joint hearing of three City Council committees. The three committees are the Transportation Committee, Women’s Issues committee, and the Public Safety committee.

Apparently, some of the biggest sources of complaints are the 4,5 and 6 trains that run between Grand Central Terminal and Union Square. The average age of the men that have been arrested this year for sexual offenses is 39 years old. Particularly dangerous times are during ...continue reading