Who needs a strip club when you can just ride the New York City subways? In March, four limber women took to the subway in a quest to win $10,000 from DareJunkies.com. The website offered the prize to the best public pole dance. The video features Laura Lee Anderson, Jessica Wu, Marissa Lupp, Isis Masoud, and regular subway riders as the four grind their way to the $10,000 prize. The scantily clad women were... more ›

Drivers from four different companies that operate vehicles for disabled and ill passengers have gone on strike. The 1,500 drivers want a new contract with the bus companies. The union has rejected a settlement with some wage increase and a slight increase in medical benefits twice. And not all drivers wanted to walk off the job - one driver told WCBS 2, "To have use go out on strike right now during the Christmas holiday... more ›

We take this to be definitive proof that the video of a group of teen girls beating a man on an A train was not staged: The victim has emerged. Rafael Cruz, a 27-year-old Brooklyn resident who is a manager at a Midtown H&M, told the Post, "I'm trying to get over it. It happened a month ago." Cruz isn't sure if he will press charges, noting, "Teenagers are allowed to make mistakes, but... more ›

While this morning's commute seems better, most mass transit riders are still confused, frustrated and even betrayed by the subway system and other rail service coming to a stand still during the Wednesday morning rush hour. The MTA admitted that the service was not acceptable on many accounts, from the flooding to the fact that the MTA's website was overwhelmed. Then there's also the fact that the MTA was urging people not to take the subways and opt for a bus instead, only for buses to be (A) few and far between and (B) crowded as anything. more ›

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As the MTA considers ways to save money as it faces billion-dollar deficits, the Daily News suggests the "Sick Customer Response Program" could be on the chopping block. Apparently the MTA would be able to save $250,000 if the program, which has EMTs stationed at seven busy stations, were eliminated in 2009, but we think it would be a mistake to end it. more ›

More updates below, but here's a summary so far (8:20PM): A steam explosion occurred on East 41st and Lexington Avenue (41st between Lex and Third) just before 6PM - right during the evening rush hour. The NYPD does not think it was a terrorist attack. It appears that there is a hole about 25' in diameter with a red tow truck in the center. One person has died (possibly from cardiac arrest) and there are at least 15 people injured. It is a six-alarm situation for the FDNY, which includes 24 engines and 13 ladders. more ›

In non-report card 7 train news, the MTA is now offering express 7 service after Mets games during weeknight games. And the service will start after tomorrow's Mets-Cincinnati Reds game. Post-game express service will last an hour, with trains leaving Willets Point-Shea Stadium every six minutes. Trips to Queensboro Plaza will now take 13 minutes (from 19 when taking the local) and trips to Times Square will now take 25 minutes (from 31). more ›

Yesterday, the NYC Transit Authority gave 7 train riders the chance to tell them what they think about the 7 line and service with the first ever subway/bus report cards. NYCTA president Howard Roberts Jr. hopes that eventually all subway and bus riders will be able to grade their lines so the agency can work with customers' suggestions. more ›

Back in 2005, the MTA imposed new rules and fines for a variety of subway offenses, such as a $50 fine for putting your foot on a seat or platform bench. Or a $100 fine for wearing skates. One of the rules included was a $75 fine for walking or riding between subway cars because the MTA wanted to make sure riders weren't exposed to dangers of riding/walking between cars, emergencies or smelly people or crowded cars be damned. more ›

The NY Sun had a fun article about the different kids of music played at various transit hubs in the area. For instance, the Port Authority plays Handel and Bach and the area airports play "light classical." At Penn Station, there's "string quartets and flute piccolos" at Amtrak but top 40 music at the LIRR area. Why?

sic, composed to serve as background music, best soothes the preoccupied, traveling mind. more ›

This story might be one of our worst subway nightmares. Over the weekend, an A train left the station with some doors OPEN. The Daily News reports that train didn't stop until it was at the next station. The Transit Authority's Paul Fleuranges gave this statement:

"This incident should NOT have happened. If it happened as you describe it ... then there were some very serious violations of our operating rules and procedures. We are all relieved there were no injuries to our customers or crew." more ›

...[NYC Transit] has EMTs posted at 6 busy stations across the system during rush hour - Grand Central-42nd St, 125th St-Lexington Ave, Bowling Green, 5th Ave-53rd St, Queens Plaza, and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue...It has MTA spokesman Paul Fleuranges narrating, along with actual radio transmissions of conductors diverting trains for sick customers and interviews with EMTs and nurses. Pretty informative stuff. more ›

Oh, Anthony Weiner, what's up with you pulling a Schumer and having a Sunday press conference? And a press conference for you to bitch about the MTA's lax trash can security, no less? more ›

-90% subway cars with public address announcementsThe NYCTA tried to cover its butt by saying the study was only a partial study, but really, we think any commuter would be able to weigh in on how the PA system is just terrible - on the platform, on the train, everywhere. However, there are some riders who just don't pay attention to announcements - think iPod users. But this is a nice complement to the Straphanger's recent survey about how train announcements are pretty bad. more ›

If it's Friday, it means weekend subway service diversions (prepare to sit this weekend out, Williamsburg). The Daily News reports that 18 of the 19 lines that have weekend service have work being done on them (only the M is immune to the woes) and the MTA says the track work is being done before the rush of holiday-time visitors. The MTA's Paul Fleuranges said, "We understand the resulting diversions make traveling difficult, but the alternative - a crumbling infrastructure - is one we don't entertain or envision allowing to happen." No, we don't like crumbling anything in the subways. This reminds of the recent NY Times article that empathized with riders' weekend services problems, making rides much longer. So, Gothamist asks two things: 1) Let us know about how your weekend service was - try to give us estimates of how much longer your trip took (or if your trip had to be scrapped); 2) Math fiends - help us devise a formula to estimate waiting time - parabolic functions are welcome. more ›

The Straphangers Campaign has released its annual State of the Subways Report Card and yet again, the 6 train is named the best line while the N is the worst. The other trains, from best to worst, were the 1/9, 7, 4, E, J/Z, L, 5, Q, 2, 3, V, F, A, D, R, M, B, W, C. So, overall, it seems that the crappiest grouping of lines are the B, D, F, V - which comes as no surprise, as though cars are really old and crappy. The 6 gets its high rating because the train cars are newer, which means more comfort (if not more seats), more clear announcements and less breakdowns, whereas the N gets slammed because it performed below average on these four measures: "arriving with regularity, seat availability, cleanliness and announcements." If you look at the data (there are a bunch of PDFs available at the Straphangers), it seems to suggest that shorter lines - and ones with the newer subway cars - tend to rise to the top. Newsday, though, gets a quote from MTA spokesman Paul Fleuranges who says, "The subway system was never designed to offer everyone a seat during rush hour, particularly at the most crowded point along the route." Yeah, so suck it up, New Yorkers! more ›

Lately, it seems like the NYC subway system just likes fires. For what seems like the umpteenth time in the past few months, a fire in a substation caused a shutdown and evacuation of riders on the A, B, C, and D lines, all the way from the Bronx to Brooklyn on some lines. A circuit breaker malfunction (far more serious than a wardrobe malfunction in Gothamist's book) that turned into a fire at the St. Nicholas Avenue and 141st Street stop occured at 11AM and wasn't fixed until 2:30PM, which meant 600 people were stranded on the trains. Newsday noted that this the day after NYC Transit President Lawrence Reuter's claim that the subways were better, and reported, "The stranded straphangers were escorted out of the stalled trains by firefighters and transit crews, some on evacuation devices stretched across to another train that carried them to safety." Does anyone know what the evaucation devices were exactly - special subway style ones? Luckily, there were no major injuries, some passengers were treated for smoke inhalation and a transit worker suffered some burns. What's scary is that some transit union spokespeople are criticizing that ladders placed in tunnels to evacuate passengers and workers were not easily located; in fact, one ladder was locked and there was no key! more ›