Photograph by awgreen on Flickr With the MTA in dire financial straits, there's been lots of talk about ways to save the MTA, from a 23% fare hike and service cuts to tolling the now-free bridges over the East and Harlem Rivers. Now, Governor Paterson is reviewing a plan with recommendations on how to help the MTA and likes the ideas it offers so far. The plan, submitted by the Ravitch Commission, will be......

A man is being questioned in connection to the murder of a B46 bus driver yesterday afternoon in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The driver, Edwin Thomas, was fatally stabbed by a passenger over an argument about a transfer. 1010 WINS reports, "A tip led police to the [28-year-old] man, an alleged drug dealer, who was taken into custody at a friend's house in East New York." He is being questioned at the 81st Precinct. Witnesses say that Thomas......

If you rode the V line on Sunday, you may have lucked out with a seat on one of the old 1930s-era subway cars deployed as part of the MTA's holiday train revival. But there's nostalgia rolling above ground too! Buses from the '60s and '70s are now operating during morning and evening rush hours on the M8, M14, M20, M23, M34, M42, M57 and M79 lines, and the Q32 in Queens, through January 2nd.......

A bus driver on the B46 line in Brooklyn died after being stabbed around 12:30 p.m. today. WCBS 2 reports, "Police told CBS 2 HD that a passenger leaving the bus asked for a transfer. The driver refused to give him one. An argument ensued and the suspect pulled out an object and stabbed the driver with it." The driver was taken to Woodhull Hospital, and then transferred to NY Presbyterian, where he died. The......

The MTA is about to go digital with its program giving commuters excuse notes explaining why delays kept them from being on time to work or elsewhere. As of right now, the MTA mails out 34,000 letters a year that take over a week before arriving to employers. But as of next year, an on-line request form will allow them to send your basic HopStop-style report showing the route that was taken with transfer and......

Starting today, the MTA will give you a chance to step back in time. A vintage subway train--the "Nostalgia Train"-- will be running every Sunday through December on the V. In the words of the MTA, "With a little bit of luck and good timing, you can catch a ride on this classic subway car at stations along the V line between Queens Plaza and 2 Ave." Above are some photographs of past "Nostalgia Train"......

Photo Courtesy AP/Kathy Willen Reports surfaced yesterday about a new terrorist plan to attack the New York City transit system using suicide bombers. The FBI called the plot "uncorroborated, but plausible" that was allegedly triggered by information obtained from a Pakistani citizen arrested overseas last week. Despite the unsubstantiated nature of the threat, it drew extra attention due to its involvement of top aides to Osama Bin Laden. Newsday reports that "sources said the......

Forget about that tired, old, tourist coveted F Train t-shirt, AnimalNY reports that the MTA has some brand spankin' new tees that are much more aesthetically pleasing; an "edgy line of t-shirts featuring the photography of Travis Ruse, a well known, photo documenting commuter," (will more local photobloggers be getting some MTA love in the future?). There are three styles, titled: lamplight, platform and skyline (pictured). Pay 24 bucks now so you won't have to......

At a press conference this morning, MTA executive Elliot Sander announced a "major initiative" that will enable the authority to let riders know how hard their commutes are going to suck with text messaging and email alerts in real time. The MTA has been working toward a real-time update system for several years now, starting out with weekly email updates and sporadic advisories on their website. In a statement, Sander said, "This is a revolutionary......

As we mentioned yesterday, the MTA's Transit Museum Annex opened its annual Holiday Train Show-- and this year there are the first-ever MTA-licensed NYC Subway Lionel Train Cars along with the recently released Metro-North Commuter Lionel Trains. A press release from Lionel Trains explains how the model subway train cars are extremely detailed: "The R-27 Subway Car was first put into service by the MTA in 1960 and continued to serve New York City riders......

NYC comptroller William Thompson is proposing that the city plug the MTA's budget gap by raising automobile registration fees in the 12 counties served by the MTA’s trains and buses. If passed by the State Legislature, his plan would require drivers in the city and surrounding counties to pay $100 a year to register their vehicles. (The city currently charges $30 every two years.) According to the Times, drivers with vehicles weighing more than 2,300......

This weekend Times reporters rode the MTA's weekend express bus lines and came back with a total downer of a story about how the elimination of the routes would leave lower income commuters particularly screwed. For instance, 69-year-old Myrtis Williams lives in the Marcy Houses in Brooklyn and is completely dependent on the potentially doomed B57; the subway isn't an option for her because her peripheral artery disease and diabetes make taking the stairs painful.......

The scratchiti artist who got busted after a fellow commuter on the N train snapped a cellphone picture of him and sent into police had some harsh words for the informant. "They're lucky I didn't see them taking pictures. I would have busted it," 18-year-old Andrew Morello told the Daily News. While Morello says he has given up working on his Plexiglass canvas, he apparently hasn't stopped talking like a tough guy. He told the......

If the MTA's service cuts announced earlier this week do in fact go into effect, 1.3 million New Yorkers will be affected by the changes. During the press conference Thursday, MTA heads Elliot Sander and Dale Hemmerdinger encouraged straphangers to contact their reps in Albany as a last resort to bail out their 1.2 billion deficit. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver must have heard the call because yesterday he suggested a tax to help alleviate the......

A new study put out by City Councilman Daniel Garodnick hopes to save east side trains in Manhattan from suffering the ax that is likely coming to various lines around the city. The survey of the Lexington Avenue lines at rush hour discovered "130 riders kept off of each downtown 6 train at 77th Street during morning rush, ...on two days, the number was over 400." The MTA says that with trains running every two......

Photograph by phrenologist on Flickr After much speculation and the local papers preparing commuters for what was to come, the MTA made their official budget proposal today and as expected, the cutbacks were dramatic. In addition to the slashing of the W and the Z lines among other cuts listed Tuesday, today's 2009 budget also included the following: Increasing weekend wait times by 25% on most lines Raising express bus fares from $5 to......

The MTA is meeting today to discuss its $1.2 billion budget gap. While the agency refuses to comment on any specific measures until next month, big fare hikes and service cuts are expected. Today, the Daily News reports that the M8 bus, which travels across the East Village and West Village is eliminated, according to a budget proposal, as well as some express bus routes (the QM22, X25, and X32). One thing that could help......

Photograph of a crowded E train by milkshakepants on Flickr While the MTA doesn't want to comment yet on how they might close the $1.2 billion budget gap, the speculation continues. The Daily News thinks the "base fare will likely rise into the $2.50-to-$3 range," adding, "Officials haven't set new target prices for the unlimited-ride MetroCards." Yesterday, the News details how service would be cut, like eliminating the Z, cutting G and M service......

Photo from heathbrandon on Flickr With the MTA's budget deficit now being projected at 1.2 billion (after an original prognosis of 900 million), the Daily News has learned that a report to be released Thursday will include what some are calling "Doomsday" cuts. The big one for many commuters is the elimination of the W line. Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. wasted no time in jumping in on the talk of getting rid of the W.......

As we briefly mentioned yesterday, the grades have come in on the second annual rider report cards for the L and 7 train lines. While only half the riders on the L and a quarter of those who take the 7 train turned in a report card when compared to a year ago, the results were roughly the same--consistently staying in the C-range in most categories. MTA officials were quick to highlight how riders gave......

Wide image of Google Maps' (correct) explanation of how to use the subway from Grand Central to Madison Square Garden, with inset of the incorrect Google Maps ad As a reader pointed out, while Google's Google Maps ads-wrapped subway cars are nifty-looking, an ad inside the car "mislabels Times Square as Grand Central Station." The mistake implies that one can get the 1, 2 or 3 from Grand Central--when everyone knows that the only......

Last week, WCBS 2 first mentioned that the MTA might consider adding tolls to the free East River bridges--the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and 59th Street--as a way to raise much-needed revenue. Now, Governor Paterson confirmed to the news station, "I think that very accurately we may have to look at tolls on the bridges right in the city... The MTA itself which has a deficit, a debt, which is higher than 46 states, now has......

Interesting: The Daily News reports that driver demand to use MTA bridges and tunnels has fallen 4.8% when comparing last month's figures (25 million) to October 2007 (when there were 26.3 million drivers). Another stat: Traffic on the Manhattan crossings was down 4% between September and October. One hypothesis is that recent layoffs mean there's less reason to head into Manhattan. However, average weekday subway ridership increased 4.3% "in the 12 months ending Sept. 30,"......

Last month the History Channel series "Cities of the Underworld" was the first subway wrap ad to be unveiled on the Times Square Shuttle. Now Google Maps has stepped up to the plate, helping the MTA with their huge budget crisis by paying for a colorful ad campaign on the S. NYC the Blog notes that "Google has only wrapped the exterior of the train, leaving the interior with the more traditional ads we are......

A Queens woman who says a police officer used excessive force when he pepper sprayed her in the face during an arrest is suing the city for $3 million. According to the Daily News, Naeema Screven was rushing to catch the A train at the Broadway station in Brooklyn when she ducked under the yellow tape that divided the staircase into "up" and "down." That's a no-no. When she reached the bottom, she was stopped......

The MTA's scary financial situation has now given birth to a Daily News cover broadcasting a $3 fare hike possibility! Of course, it's only a possibility--that's probably why it shares space with news that the Obama daughters were invited to appear on Hannah Montana. However, the Straphangers Campaign's Gene Russianoff tells the News if there's no state bailout, "We could be looking at the mother of all fare hikes. This whopping increase would likely be......

Photograph by AminTorres Now, that the MTA's 2009 budget gap has quadrupled from $300 million to $1.2 billion, the agency is trying to figure out what to do next to close the gap. Regarding likely service cuts, fare hikes and possible layoffs, MTA CEO Elliott Sander said, "The word 'Draconian' is not inappropriate." The Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA's William Henderon said, "One of the scary things is if you look at......

Subway cars that spent their lifespan serving New Yorkers often retire at the bottom of a watery grave in Delaware and New Jersey, creating artificial barrier reefs. Why not dump the old cars in our own rivers and waterways? Technically, it's not allowed under current environmental codes, but just because the fish in the Gowanus canal likely have gonohorrea, doesn't mean they don't deserve a little reef love as well! NY1 reports that "Congressman Anthony......

The sky is falling undergound! (And above ground, where the buses drive.) At an MTA finance committee this morning, officials announced that they're looking at a $1.2 billion budget deficit in 2009, which is $300 million more than what was projected in July. Chief executive Elliot Sander says the dire fiscal situation was caused by a sharp drop in revenue from real estate and corporate taxes. Sanders also said that because "the 2000-2004 capital program......

Senator Charles Schumer is wasting no time: He tells the Daily News, "Washington can't do what it did in Herbert Hoover's time and twiddle its thumbs." Noting how Obama said that states must be helped during this economic downturn, the senior Senator from NY says Obama should help New York with money for "affordable housing, transportation and help hiring for cops." City Council member John Liu, chair of the Council's transportation committee, added that a......