Dunh dunh DUNH! Governor Spitzer has announced that he is asking the MTA to hold off raising subway and bus fares! Spitzer, who has been smarting from widely hated policy proposals and low approval ratings, made a pre-Thanksgiving bid to show he's listening to his public and said, during a specially planned 9AM press conference, via CityRoom: As the M.T.A. budget forecasts, their balance sheets yielded another $220 million. Based on the current economic......

To the surprise of no one, New Yorkers are not in favor of the MTA's proposed fare-and-toll hikes. Residents, transit advocates and elected officials have been speaking at the MTA's public hearings all week, raising a number of questions about the MTA's service, the state's and city's contributions to the MTA, and effect it will have on riders. The Manhattan public hearing reminded of us Festivus, or at least its "public airing of grievances"......

During a board meeting to present the MTA's 2008-2011 financial plan, MTA executive director Lee Sander confirmed yesterday that, yes, fare and toll hikes would be needed in the future because of looming billion-dollar deficits - even in spite of a current billion dollar surplus. And though some politicians were quick to criticize potential hikes (no pol wants fare increases on their watch), the Straphangers Campaign's Gene Russianoff told the Times, "[The MTA has] good......

Governor Spitzer nominated H. Dale Hemmerdinger to be Peter Kalikow's replacement as MTA Chairman. Hemmerdinger is a real estate developer with long and varied ties to New York City. He is the president of ATCO Properties and Management, which owns and manages two million square feet of residential, commercial, industrial, and retail space. A longtime backer of Democratic politians, Hemmerdinger's wife donated $40,000 to Spitzer's campaigns since 2000, and Mrs. Spitzer hosted a fundraiser at......

Now that MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow has announced his resignation, the newspapers are assessing his tenure. And the verdict is that Kalikow did usher the MTA into an era of high ridership and capital improvement and help ed set up many big projects (Second Avenue Subway, East Side Access). But he also oversaw the agency during the transit strike. The Straphangers Campaign's Gene Russianoff tells the NY Times, "He ended up with probably what was......

MTA Chairman Peter S. Kalikow announced that he is stepping down from his position as chairman of the MTA. Kalikow, who was appointed by then Governor George Pataki back in 2001, was reappointed to a 6-year term last summer, which suggested there might be battles ahead between him and new governor Eliot Spitzer. But at the end of 2006, Kalikow said he would step down during the second quarter of this year, after finishing up......

Yesterday's Second Avenue Subway groundbreaking was notable for a few things: First of all, as we all know by now, it's was the fourth groundbreaking - three occurred in the 1970s, so yesterday's event was an introduction to the pomp and pageantry of subway groundbreakings for many of us. Second, it was pouring. When it rains at weddings, some people say that's lucky (though we suspect it's just to make the couple feel better).......

It's been 33 years since the last Second Avenue Subway groundbreaking, so it's high time for new generations of straphangers to revel in the hope of a new subway line. We also expect the public -- especially the Upper East Side-residing public -- to become jaded with construction delays, traffic issues, and noise. Here's the press release from the MTA:Tomorrow morning's historic groundbreaking ceremony for the Second Avenue Subway can be seen by all......

A man's fall into the subway tracks is now cause for a lawsuit. Angel Diaz, a nurse's aide who was headed to Lincoln Hospital for a job application, says he slipped on the wet platform at the 143rd Street Station and then "tripped on a bump in the cement used to repair a leak from a janitor's closet." Diaz's lawyer says he "flew" onto the tracks, where a subway car ran over his hand. The......

This could also be titled "Kalikow Doesn't Care As Much About Non-Hamptons People." After receiving a complaint about the Montauk LIRR station, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow took care of the matter immediately. Corcoran agent and Montauk resident Deanna Banks wrote a letter to Hamptons.com saying that after leaving a message with Kalikow's secretary, the secretary called to say, "Mr. Kalikow said he would make efforts to fix the parking lot." Potholes were filled nine day......

News flash: The way to get stuff done at the MTA is to play MTA types against each other. There NY Times summarizes the fate of the Fulton Street Transit Hub with the headline: Planners Clash Over Transit Hub, and Riders Win. Forgetting the construction delays, last November, the MTA said that the massive project that was supposed to be about connecting most of the downtown subways might not be able to connect the......

Days away from becoming Governor, Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer appointed twelve people to head various state agencies, including the Port Authority and the MTA. Well, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow, a Pataki appointee, says he's not leaving just yet, but it seems like Elliot Sander (pictured), who was made the executive director and CEO of the MTA, will eventually take over the chairmanship. Sander is currently a corporate senior VP at transportation engineering firm DMJM Harris but......

A look at some noteworthy programs this week: iVillagelive (WNBC & Bravo, Monday, 12:00 noon) NBC launches this lifestyle show focused on women on Monday. What makes it different from other such shows is that it is going to have an interactive component, since it is a spin-off from the NBC-Universal owned website iVillage.com. The 2006 Billboard Music Awards (WNYW 5, Monday, 8:00 p.m.) Yet another music awards show. The only reason it is noteworthy......

In November, it was reported that, in spite of a lack of news, cell phone bids to wiring subway stations were still alive. But the Sun reports that they may actually be "dead in the tracks", as MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow isn't sure if the agency will pick a vendor:The service providers want riders to make calls while in the tunnels. The MTA has remained adamantly opposed to chatting in transit. "The position is customer......

Whoa, is this an early holiday present to Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer? Or is this a fake-out to appease him for now? MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow told a state Assembly oversight hearing that he'll leave office "sometime in the second quarter": "There are things that I want to get finished. When they are finished I would like to resign." Those things being getting funding for the Second Avenue Subway and other capital projects secured. Kalikow was......

As we all know now, the soaring glass atrium dome and underlying transit hub designed by Nicholas Grimshaw will be much more modest than originally planned (above). The problem, of course, is b-u-d-g-e-t. A brief recap: The MTA cup that once runneth over with federal aid for post-9/11 redevelopment in Lower Manhattan now appears rather dry, owing to rising real estate and construction costs. To keep the project under a billion dollars, the dome will......

Each year, Grand Central Terminal has a light show for the holidays. And this year, it's a kaleidoscope:The walls and pillars of the main concourse will be illuminated in a joyful display of color and light created from architectural and historic elements and views of Grand Central Terminal and other well-known New York City icons. Each seven minute show, which will be accompanied by synchronized music, will feature artistically adapted images for a wondrous......

Yesterday, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow revealed the 2007 $10 billion MTA budget, confirming that there will be no fare hikes in 2007 and 2009. But some transit advocates think that Kalikow's strategy of implementing hikes every other year (one is expected in 2008) is just delaying the inevitable given the crippling deficits expected. Beverly Dolinsky of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA told the Post, "[Kalikow is] putting it in the lap of......

- Even though Mayor Bloomberg says he'll sign the City Council's 25% pay raise (an extra $22,500 to bring the total salary to $112,500), he criticizes the fact that many City Council members are able to have other jobs, since the City Charter says City Council positions are "part-time." He also blasted the "lulus" - aka stipends of thousands of dollars - the City Council members get for chairing committees and the like. Easy for......

Yowza! The NY Post reports that a Grand Central "hospitality supervisor" is accused of seducing and harassing male employees. Tourist greeters Filipp Asmolov and Mynor Federico Nunez separately say that they had affairs with boss Mercedes Mercado and when they tried to end them, she threatened them. Here's the Post on Asmolov's suit: At first, the suit said, the strapping Asmolov was receptive when the petite Mercado pressed herself against him in the midday hours......

Today, the NY Times NY Region section has a story updating the status of the cellphone-service-in-the-subways story. Four bids were submitted back in January, after the MTA asked for bids in August 2005 (and the service providers asked for an extension in December, but who's keeping track), and at least one bidder was asked to submit a revised bid. American Tower's CEO James D. Taiclet wouldn't give details of the revised bid, lest competitors......

Newsday has a good article looking at the transportation issues the next governor will deal with - the biggest being the MTA. The MTA, which already announced fare hikes for next year, faces insane budget deficits in the coming years: $905 million in 2008, $1.13 billion in 2009, $1.48 billion in 2010. The Straphangers' Campaign's Gene Russianoff says of the MTA, "They borrowed a ton of money to fix a system, and now the bill......

Sweet fancy Moses, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow might leave the MTA to take a job as the head of the Real Estate Board of New York, the big real estate lobbying group! Sources tell the Daily News that Kalikow, a real estate developer in his own right (his MTA salary si $1), would only leave after securing Second Avenue Subway funding. Someone in the federal government - fund that project! Likely future governor, Attorney General......

What is a Presidential trip to New York without some protest? During President Bush's United Nations General Assembly address (in which he tried to emphasize that the U.S. wanted a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program), protesters rallied outside to speak out against the war in Iraq. After initially being prohibited from marching by the NYPD - which then allowed the march to take place if only on the sidewalk and on a different......

It's deja vu all over again! After the city's hot and heavy offer to pay the MTA $500 million for the West Side Railyards in July and the MTA's apparent interest in making that deal happen (because the city would help fund the 7 line extension), it seemed like West Side development was moving along again. But then it turned out the land was worth $1.5 billion (thanks to an MTA audit), and now......

What a difference a year makes - and a few months, for that matter. Remember when the New York Jets were offering $100 million for the West Side Railyards to build a Jets Stadium? And remember when the MTA, when forced by public pressure, demanded $300 million? And then in July, Mayor Bloomberg offered $300 million for the West Side Rail Yard and $200 million for the East Side railyard - a total of......

Finally, proof that public transport is crowded for a reason: The MTA says that ridership has grown 36% in the past ten years. From amNew York: Trips on New York City Transit subway trains and buses have grown 36 percent, from 1.6 billion in 1995 to 2.2 billion in 2005. Meanwhile, the population of the city grew 7 percent from 7.6 million to 8.2 million. Likewise, regular commuter rail trips jumped 14 percent to......

am New York reports that transit strike constract arbitration will start tomorrow, which is crazy. Because we're in the throes of crazy heat and stuffy subway platforms, and when the strike was on, it was cool (cold over the bridge) and we were holiday shopping. Nice for the MTA and TWU to work together so well and get this thing locked up quickly. Remember when the TWU members rejected the contract? And then the MTA......

Transport Workers Union members were on the Upper East Side this morning, protesting MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow and his and the MTA board's "inaction" on the contract. Now, Gothamist understands why they went, but we doubt Kalikow will listen. The Daily News printed Kalikow's answers to reader questions, and we have to doubt whether or not Kalikow actually rides the system from time to time. Take this question:Q: The temperature in the subways is absolutely......

- Americans may not win World Cups, but we do seem to have knack for winning the Tour de France. - A former Law & Order makeup artist is suing NBC for blacklisting her after she pointed out sexual harassment on the set. - Ask the MTA Chairman a silly question, get an answer. - The Times explores the politics of the Sabbath elevator. - Two's a trend: Just like a robbery on July......