Yesterday it came out that the presumed dead plans to extend the 7 train to New Jersey were very much alive if very much in its infancy. And now the plan has gotten a vote of confidence from no-less than the man who killed the last big New York-New Jersey tunnel project, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. more ›

[Update Below] A direct MTA subway connection to New Jersey has been mankind's greatest dream ever since the founding bros first glimpsed the glory of the Meatpacking District from Hoboken. Now, rumor has it, Mayor Bloomberg is moving heaven and earth to make the dream a reality before the end of his third (and final?) term. You'll recall that the Bloomberg administration gave a quarter-million dollar no-bid contract to an engineering firm to study the feasibility of extending the 7 line to Secaucus. Now sources tell the Post that Bloomberg wants to get the project moving before he leaves office. more ›

What if you could get to the promised land of New Jersey without ever leaving the convenient confines of the NYC Transit system? Such a revolutionary transit transformation could encourage thousands of Jersey residents to leave their cars at home, while enticing more New Yorkers across the Hudson in search of cheaper rent and "alt scenes." The Bloomberg administration is currently floating a plan to extend the 7 train as far as Secaucus, which means the 7 would be the new L, and Weehawken should probably brace for a wave of Prohibition-era cocktail lounges. more ›

With the MTA halting weekend 7 train service (namely, service between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza) to upgrade the tracks this past weekend plus the next eight weekends, residents and business owners feel like they are getting the shaft. 1010 WINS reports, "Riders who go to the Grand Central Station can expect to see yellow tape blocking the entrance, but what they won't find is an explanation or an alternate route into Queens." A Long Island City gallery and theater owner says attendance was down 50% this past weekend and City Councilman Eric Gioia said, "The 7 train is a lifeline to Queens. When the MTA shuts it down for nine weekends, it hurts families and businesses in already tough economic times." He wants the MTA to increase bus service and discount tickets on the LIRR, adding, "If you're asking us to pay more on our MetroCards, then please at least give us the bare essentials." more ›

The New York City Transit Authority, the MTA division that oversees the subways and buses, will be now split up the management of the subway lines and instead assign a manager to deal with a line or a number of lines. The NY Times spoke to NYC Transit president Howard Roberts Jr.:The goal, Mr. Roberts said, is to have 24 subway lines operating in many ways as 24 self-contained railroads. (The number may vary,... more ›

Yesterday, Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg, MTA CEO and Executive Director Lee Sander and other officials kicked off the extension of the 7 line by unveiling a new sign in Times Square pointing the way to Hudson Yards. Ah, nothing like putting in signs for things that won't be ready for years - the 7 will reach 34th and 11th Avenue in 2013. The 7 line extension will cost $2 billion for the 1.5 miles... more ›