The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has revised its proposed plan for "Doomsday" service cuts, potentially rescuing nighttime service on several crosstown buses, saving the Z train, and ensuring that trains run every 20 minutes, not every 30 minutes, late at night. The MTA's new proposed cuts no longer threaten the M79 and M96 buses, and nighttime service on Eighth Avenue's M10 bus would be preserved. The M train would still be cut, though the V train — which currently terminates in the Lower East Side — would extend into Brooklyn to cover its stops in Williamsburg and further east. Though the W train would still be eliminated, Q trains would extend into Queens and N trains would run local in Manhattan to cover its stops.
MTA Tweaks "Doomsday" Cuts, Saves Z Train And Some Buses
Restaurant DOH Letter Grading System Up for Public Comment
Earlier this year the Board of Health began weighing a plan to require restaurants to prominently display a letter grade of A, B or C, depending on the sanitary conditions. (Those restaurants receiving Bs and Cs would be inspected more often than those inspectors' pets with the As.) A similar public grading system has been used in LA for years, and NYC's 24,000 restaurants will soon get with the left coast. But first, the Board of Health wants to hear your opinion!
Liam Neeson Faces Off With Animal Rights Activists
The world has been waiting to find out where Liam Neeson falls on the whole carriage horse issue, and you can stop holding your breath now, world: the actor has spoken...and PETA isn't gonna like what he has to say. Last week a story ran in the Irish Echo regarding the New Yorker resident's public support of the Central Park carriage industry, which came out in a letter to the City Council.
Riders Give Subway System C Average So Far
Last year New York City Transit handed out 795,883 report cards to riders asking for feedback, and now officials have begun to share the grades, the Post reports (the Post also created this nifty graphic). Let's just say they're going to need your signature on this report card—when you average out all the grades the overall score is average. Not a single subway line did better than a C, and officials have only released data on eight subway lines so far; the G train report card is still to come.
Hello, $3 Subway Ride!
In the future, subway travel will be the exclusive domain of the moneyed class, a decadent indulgence enjoyed by only the most privileged New Yorkers. And the future starts now! Today the MTA confirmed that next year the cost of a subway or bus ride could reach $3 for a one-way trip. The MTA faces a serious budget deficit of $1.2 billion next year and wants to increase the overall revenue from fares and tolls by 23 percent.
City Council's Term Limits Hearing in Progress
to extend term limits, why Bloomberg does support the California initiative against the incumbent-friendly redistricting, and the Mayor refused to comment on Hillary Clinton's term limits comments.
MTA Fare Hike Webinar in "Progress"
Worst Webinar Ever!
Our MTA Webinar lunch plans are frozen at the moment. We sort of wish the "technical difficulties" prompt was accompanied by a "signal problem" or "police activity" reference to complete the atmosphere. The MTA just released the new fare hikes for unlimited and pay-per-ride Metrocards. The base fare will remain at $2, though only 15% of the riding population buys the base fare. Update: We didn't see any questions or answers during the time...
Public Says "No Fare Hike" at MTA Hearings
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"...

