Governor Andrew Cuomo gave his State of the State today, vowing to make 2012 the year "we must transform our government to once again become the progressive capital of our nation." He proposed a $1 billion economic development package for Buffalo, which has the third-highest poverty rate in the country, abolishing the state's requirements for fingerprinting food stamp recipients, deemed himself the "student's lobbyist," and pitched a slew of environmental and energy improvements. But Cuomo was also mum about transportation, spoke glowingly of legalizing gambling, declined to read his brief remarks on hydraulic fracturing, and announced an ambitious plan to build the world's largest convention center at the Aquaduct Racetrack. more ›

Transportation officials have put the kibosh on cheapie Chinatown bus line Double Happyness Travel Inc, calling it "an imminent hazard" and shutting down all operations immediately. But how will we get to Baltimore with five minutes notice now? more ›

Following the news of marked improvements for pedestrians and cyclists traveling around Grand Army Plaza, the DOT has announced [pdf] new improvements around Prospect Park's southeast entrance, including closing the East Drive entrance to automobiles. According to the agency, 20 people are injured at this corner every year, and Streetsblog notes that closing the entrance allows for a realigning of the crosswalks, which "should make motorists more aware of people walking across the street." 57% of the crashes between pedestrians and vehicles at Ocean and Parkside between 2005 and 2009 occurred when the pedestrian had the walk signal. more ›

Sure, the East River Ferry has had its issues since its launch this summer: delays annoyed commuters, Hasidic Jews were pissed about its child restrictions, and for a minute there, it looked like no one wanted to ride the thing at all. But those issues pale in comparison to the latest problem: the ferry is too damn popular. more ›

After MTA chairman Jay Walder announced his surprise resignation to go work in Hong Kong last week, almost everyone was upset that the financially shaky MTA was losing a "world class transportation professional," as Bloomberg put it. Walder officially stated he was leaving because of a "compelling offer" he couldn't refuse, but the scuttlebutt now is that Walder's chilly relationship with Gov. Andrew Cuomo played an important role in the decision. more ›

Word comes today that the MTA is planning to install new safety shields in city buses to protect drivers from the violent passengers who attack them. more ›

Normally, if you're a bike-wielding terrorist bent on destroying the acorn reserves of Central Park squirrels (trust us) you don't have many options for cutting through the park. Either you bike to 60th street for a roundabout trip north, use the crosstown street at 72nd that only goes east to west or brave those narrow, dicey transverse roads. However, it appears that the Poltiburo of the Parks Department and the Central Park Conservancy will permit cyclists on two pedestrian paths as part of a trial run that could begin as soon as this month. The catch? Really, really, really, really, slow pedaling. more ›

Remember the East River Ferry that we were so excited about? The one that was free for a few weeks when it first started running? Well, as it turns out, now that it's not so free anymore, no one wants to take it. more ›

Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise, but the brand-new East River Ferry, which hasn't even been running for a full week, is already having service issues, issuing a special advisory today warning weekend passengers that there are rough seas ahead: more ›

For today's installment of Ridiculous Cab Stories, we present the six "elite" cabbies who tool around in customized Lexuses. What makes this entry different from previous contenders like the $51,000 Mercedes-Benz cab and the luxury motorcycle taxi service is that the Lexuses (Lexi?) are already on the streets, being driven by a motley crew of cabbies who are all drawn to the cars for its aura of prestige. But how long will they last? more ›

You know what the city needs more of? Fancy cabs! if you're not into the idea of a luxury motorcycle taxi service, try cruising town in high style in one of the city's newly-approved Mercedes-Benz taxis instead. Well, if you can find one. more ›

Are taxis too slow for you? Are limos too much of a hassle? Are buses too crowded, and subways too dirty? Is the idea of riding a bike tantamount to slicing off a finger? Then we have just the perfect transportation for you: Motorcycle Taxis. more ›

For his latest stunt, comedian Mark Malkoff—who previously lived in an IKEA and visited 171 Starbucks in one day—set out to prove the obvious: the crosstown bus lines can be agonizingly slow. So slow, in fact, that you're actually better off riding a child's big wheel tricycle. Riding a Razor Rip Rider 360, Malkoff raced the bus for a mile on 42nd Street, from 10th Avenue to Madison Avenue, being sure to pedal in traffic so as not to get a summons for triking on the sidewalk. Here is his triumphant video: more ›

It's been a tough few years for cantankerous NY Post columnist Steve "He Who Yells At Cloud" Cuozzo. So many changes in this town! Particularly near his office, where the DOT turned several blocks of Broadway into pedestrian plazas that Cuozzo did NOT sign off on. Infernal bike lanes have popped up everywhere, cigarette smoking is criminalized, and now the DOT is still threatening big changes to 34th Street. In a new rant entitled "Debacle on 34th St.; DOT's plans to ruin grand blvd," Cuozzo draws a line in the sand: more ›

Yesterday, federal, state and city officials broke ground on the Moynihan Station, the long-discussed project to redevelop Penn Station at the Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue. After years of obstacles, it was more of a "symbolic gesture," welcoming federal money being used for the project (the feds are kicking in $83 million for phase one, which has an estimated total of $276 million). more ›

If Mad Men has taught us anything, it's this: if you don't like what's being said about you, you have to change the conversation. And Carl Paladino certainly does not like what's being said about him currently. Although he can't just write a ballsy letter to the NY Times and let the chips fall as they may, he can make sweeping statements about NYC transit, and say that we wants to abolish the MTA. "The MTA is horribly mismanaged and it's a sinkhole of money," he told reporters. more ›

Vice President Joe Biden was in town to kick off the beginning of the big Brooklyn Bridge rehabilitation project. According to Mayor Bloomberg's office, it's "a $508 million project - supported by $30 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds - that will bring the nationally and locally landmarked bridge into a state of good repair and improve traffic flow. The project starts the four-year process to replace bridge decks on the ramp and approach structures, expand the numbers of lanes on ramps and repaint of all the bridge’s steel components." more ›

Not yet, anyway. Because doesn't this rumor happen every year? Well, here comes the latest tease that Brooklyn will get its trolley cars back. Last time we heard about this plan (last August), it was Mayor Bloomberg that showed interest in bringing some version of the nostalgic modes of transportation back to growing waterfront areas in the borough. Now the NY Post reports that the city is on track to build a light-rail or trolley line servicing certain sections of Brooklyn. more ›

In a curt message to the isolated island natives, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporaton President (RIOC) Steve Shane made the following announcement about a major impending pain in the ass: "Tram: All on schedule for March 1 shutdown. Please familiarize yourself with alternate transportation options. See RIOC's website and posted materials. Less than 3 weeks to go. None should be surprised." According to New Yorkology, the oft-delayed project, expected to last until August 31st, is part of "a major modernization project." Does that mean the tram's being turned into a monorail?! more ›

Midtown merchants claim that bus companies that use curbside stops — like Megabus and Bolt Bus — are hurting business. With as many as eight coaches idling on West 33rd Street at one time, business owners say that the vehicles create a "wall of metal, glass and rubber" that makes it hard for pedestrians to see or visit the shops on the other side of the street, according to the Daily News. more ›

Just months after the city announced a far-reaching proposal to expand ferry service and subsidize boat operators until 2010, it looks like the plan has run aground again. Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi, told the Times that he has not been able to reach an agreement with the city about continuing a much-needed $900,000 per year subsidy. Without the government cash, which keeps him afloat during the winter when ridership plummets by 50 percent, he says he might be forced to cancel East River ferry service for the third time in four years. more ›

Groups have been lobbying for a trolley comeback for years, and Monday night Mayor Bloomberg noted his interest in bringing them back to growing waterfront areas, according to NY1. more ›

With public transportation costing a pretty penny these days, some young Brooklyn entrepreneurs have created Dollar Van Demos. As the name suggests, the van provides rides for one buck, mostly in neighborhoods under-served by the MTA. The business declares, "the ride is cheap, adventurous and now immensely entertaining with the addition of performers singing their hearts out." That's right, the van doubles as a showcase stage for talented musicians, rappers and comedians. The best thing is, the performances (and audience reactions) are recorded and logged on their YouTube page. It's so hard to pick a favorite! Here's one regular, Sally Connors, belting it out. more ›

Saturday's weather was immaculate for day two of the All Points West music festival in Liberty State Park, New Jersey; unusually cool and crisp, with a fresh breeze off the harbor and spectacular cloud formations as far as the eye could see. Saturday was also the first day of the festival to sell out, and the park was significantly more crowded than Friday. more ›

With talk of the MTA raising fares again after recently raising them (well, not the bus and subway base fare, but still), there are some suggestions about what the MTA can do instead. more ›

The 144,160 parking placards registered in the city inventory have been reduced by over 25,000, Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler announced yesterday. The cutbacks are targeted at what many frustrated drivers see as an abuse of a system that lets police, teachers and civil servants park for free at meters and many off-limits areas. Initial cuts have focused on the 80,770 placards issued to 68 city agencies, exempting the 63,390 placards used by the Education Department. more ›

Back in 1933 Popular Science reported on New York engineer Walter H. Judson's new railway which would have trains running from San Francisco to New York in 18 hours, and Chicago to New York in 5.5 hours. Now it's the buses battling it out to have the quickest times and cheapest fares to and from New York. more ›

Turns out the number parking placards sloshing around New York is over 142,000, twice the number guesstimated by Mayor Bloomberg’s office when he announced a 20% cutback on the placards, which allow police, teachers and civil servants to park for free at meters and many off-limits areas. The new total does not take into consideration the number of counterfeit and expired placards, and the city is still not done counting, so this preliminary total is expected to increase even as they try to decrease it! more ›

A 29-year-old leaving his overnight shift with coworkers was fatally shot on East 39th Street yesterday morning. The incident occurred at 7:40AM, outside the Williams Club (per investigators, 1010WINS reports "the violence had nothing to do" with the 100-year-old club). more ›

href="http://londonist.com/2008/02/air_bound.php"> remove one man from Gatwick.