You might want to invest in some good walking shoes. A report released by the MTA's chief independent inspector shows that the authority has a pretty bad track record when it comes to responding to safety issues, and that they often know about problems for years before they act. Inspector Barry Kluger complains that communication between inspection crews often breaks down, resulting in dangerous conditions at most subway stations. For instance, the report claims, "Managers had learned in 1999 that a portion of the ceiling at 181st Street was at risk of collapse." Ten years later, that portion of ceiling collapsed, suspending service at the station for two weeks. more ›

A city-run apartment building for homeless families has put a Bronx toddler in danger—twice this week. Five days after Dymond Salgado and her family were forced to leave one apartment in their Grand Concourse building because the two-year-old was suffering from lead poisoning, a ceiling collapsed in their new apartment, covering the child in "debris and plaster teeming with water bugs and centipedes." more ›

After part of its ceiling collapsed over two weeks ago, resulting in its closure for the past two weeks, NYC Transit has announced that the West 181st Street station is open at 5 a.m. today for morning rush hour service: "Work over the past weekend was performed by an outside contractor and MTA New York City Transit maintenance personnel to stabilize some additional areas of loose brick and reposition scaffolding to maximize space along the platforms at both 168th Street and 181st Street stations." more ›

More 1 train riders will have to deal with the fun of shuttle buses, because the MTA is closing the West 168th, 157th, and 145th Street stations from midnight on Sunday till 5 a.m. Monday—and the Post said the closing could last "possibly longer." Why? Because the MTA wants to inspect the ceiling at 168th Street which is very similar to West 181st, where a chunk of the ceiling collapsed earlier this week, sending subway riders north of West 168th into shuttle bus hell. So, if the inspection is at 168th Street, why are 157th and 145th stations closing? The MTA explains, "Trains can reverse direction only at locations where there are track switches, this inspection will necessitate the lengthening of the bus shuttle south to 137th Street," where free shuttle bus service is available to Dyckman Street—more details here. more ›

With the ceiling collapse at the West 181st Street subway station causing diversions and delays on the 1 line north of 168th Street at least through the weekend, concerns and complaints about the MTA's slowness to fix anything have increased. Mayor Bloomberg said, "It just goes to show the MTA has for decades underfunded what they needed to do to not just expand, but to maintain our stations," while a student said, "[The MTA] needs to improve. I don't want to waste the money getting up to school, especially considering the danger." more ›

Commuting woes continue for 1 train riders north of 168th Street, as the MTA has continued to suspend service—details here—as it works clear up debris from a ceiling collapse at the West 181st Street station. (And if yesterday's commute was any indication, 2 and 3 line riders are also being squeezed.) The MTA explained that around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, "A section of the brick architectural façade fell 35 feet to the track bed below. A downtown 1 train was in the station, but did not sustain any major damage." And luckily no one was injured. more ›

Perhaps you took the 1 train last night and got the rude awakening that 1 service was suspended due to a ceiling collapse onto the tracks at the West 181st Street station. Or maybe you got the NotifyNYC alert this morning, "Until further notice, the number 1 train will not be passing through the 181st street station. For the morning rush hour, all passengers are being shuttled 2 blocks east to the A line. The south bound 1 line's last stop will be the 215th street station. Northbound, the last stop will be the 168th street station." (More details on the transit alert here.) Either way, 1 train riders on the nine stops north of 168th Street are screwed for the time being. In terms of the collapse, luckily no one was hurt, according to the Daily News, which says "a 20- to 30-foot section of the ceiling, including an old stone arch, caved in about 11 p.m. Bricks covered both uptown and downtown tracks and platforms." Workers have been trying to clear the tracks since the collapse; you can see more pre-collapse photographs of the station at NYC Subway. more ›