Subway etiquette is a touchy subject any which way you poke a fork at it; everyone remembers the subway etiquette signs that artist Jason Shelowitz put up earlier this year, not to mention sites dedicated to calling out subway eaters and subway douchery (that latter of which inspired a considerable amount of irritation here). more ›

A recently-released study [pdf] conducted by Hunter College students posits that—are you sitting down?—"a large number of cyclists routinely disobey many traffic laws." But wait, didn't these Hunter kids already alert the public to the scourge of cyclist scofflaws back in November? Indeed, they did, but according to City Room this new report is "a rigorous and scientific version" of the previous observational study, which monitored 3,000 cyclists chosen at random at 69 locations. The new version used a wider sampling compiled of 5,275 observations of riders at 45 randomly generated intersections across Midtown from First to 10th Avenues and 14th to 59th Streets. According to the study: more ›

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. more ›

A team of twenty brave (or crazy) cyclists recently took part in a nighttime group ride along Queens Boulevard, that twelve-lane traffic artery affectionately known as the Boulevard of Death. Wearing reflective vests with "Share the Road" printed on the back, the so-called "bike pool" gathers monthly to remind drivers that cyclists also use the dangerous boulevard, where 22-year-old Asif Rahman, a photographer and aspiring hip-hop artist, was killed by a truck earlier this year. The Times tagged along with the cyclists, who are calling for a bike lane on the boulevard. Queens Councilman James Gennaro agrees it could accommodate one with minimal impact on traffic, but the DOT has no plans to install it. As Alex Vasiliev, a 66-year-old Ukranian livery cab driver puts it, "Bicycles need a lane, but cars do not need bicycle lane." more ›

A new study by the DOT [pdf] has revealed an unprecedented surge in the number of cyclists, increasing an estimated 35% in NYC between 2007 and 2008. In the past six years, cycling levels in the city have doubled, and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan says the numbers prove the department is "well on the way toward our goal of doubling the number of bike commuters." In particular, the cyclist volume on the Williamsburg Bridge has quadrupled from 2000-2008 to 4,000 cyclists on a typical day. And the study shows that cyclists are riding earlier in the morning and later in the day than previously believed. To that end, DOT reps will be stationed on the Manhattan sides of both the Williamsburg and Brooklyn bridges from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. tonight handing out free bike lights, which cyclists are required by law to use. So race on over there, all you gonzo fixed-gear cyclists from that crazy video! more ›

Well, we had a good run. Brooklyn commuters who've been enjoying a free ride on the IKEA Water Taxi that runs between Red Hook and Wall Street are going to have to make some adjustments: The Swedish retailer will be reducing hours on the service, which since June has been running every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Starting October 1st, the boat will run every 40 minutes, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. more ›

The free coach style shuttle buses that deliver riders from two Brooklyn subway stops to the new Red Hook IKEA are filling up with passengers who never set foot inside the Swedish retailer. "I'd say before one o'clock, about half the riders from Smith and Ninth Street don't even go into IKEA," one bus driver told the Daily News, adding that many riders are going to a local methodone clinic for treatment. And, as predicted, freeloaders are pulling the same move with the free Water Taxi between IKEA and lower Manhattan, an area also renowned for its methadone. more ›

In a case of gilding a withered lily, the MTA is improving service to New York City transit riders by more effectively informing them when routes will be obstructed, interrupted, and otherwise delayed. It's almost become a cliche that subway service becomes interrupted when the weather turns bad, or if any technological problem crops up. Now the MTA is offering to ameliorate its shortcomings by informing riders of service interruptions with text and email updates.... more ›