With so much talk of trolleys coming back to New York (at least in Brooklyn), here's a snapshot of what our city streets looked like when they were originally here. Can you guess which year this photo was taken? We'll update later with the answer and more details. more ›

There has been talk of streetcars returning to New York streets for a long time (at least for five years), and now there's more chatter of them chugging through Brooklyn again. In May, Mayor Bloomberg was showing some support of their return, and the Department of Transportation was readying for a five-month study of a mile-long line from the Red Hook waterfront to the edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park. That study is now underway, the DoT announced yesterday. 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 ›

Those wanting to bring trolley service back to our streets suffered an upset this month when construction workers tore up some old rails in Brooklyn. And according to the NY Post, they aren't the only ones upset. Fulton Ferry landing preservationists are up in arms about losing the piece of history (dating back to the 20s) that was at the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park. To their credit, the workers did consult archaeologists and city landmarks officials before tearing up the tracks. 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 ›

A Boston trolley operator who rear-ended another trolley Friday night because he was text-messaging his girlfriend has ruined cell-phone chatting for everyone at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which has now instructed workers to leave their cell phones at home. 49 people were injured in the collision, which is just the latest example of train wrecks caused by distracted operators—last September a Union Pacific Freight train engineer in California was found to have sent his last text message about a minute before killing 25 people, including himself, in a horrible accident. Now LIRR officials here in New York say they're considering a ban on employees' cell phones, too. Currently, LIRR engineers, who operate the trains, are permitted to bring their personal cell phones on board, but they must be shut off and stowed in a bag. A simpler alternative to an outright ban would be for the LIRR to just hire John Clifford, the famous LIRR cell phone scold, to crack some skulls. more ›

The reviews are in! And the word on the street is that the Staten Island bus tour is, well, perhaps off to a slow start. When the NY Times visited, the bus had five passengers (Gray Line said "it often takes up to five years before a new tour catches on"). Most passengers aren't even leaving the bus during stops to explore; one said she only wanted to take the ferry over because she saw Carrie do it in Sex and the City. Le sigh. So, what are people safely tucked aboard the bus seeing? Where Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" video was filmed, Wagner College (Joan Baez's father taught there!) and Mandolin Brothers guitar shop, "which has been visited by the likes of Jimmy Buffett, George Harrison and Suzanne Vega." And if her tune "Song for Sharon" is to be believed, Joni Mitchell once bought a mandolin there. Meanwhile, the Staten Island Advance is painting a different picture, with photos of filled seats. more ›

Gowanus Lounge reports on a sad sight in Park Slope, as "hideous architecture" and history prepare to collide once again. The old SEPTA trolley car which locals had high hopes of one day seeing turned into a diner...is being deconstructed to make way for a 12-story residential complex. Will the 4th Avenue landmark be headed to the landfill? Earlier this month Brownstoner noted the construction equipment appearing in the otherwise vacant lot and the owner of the trolley commented with its long and sordid history, as well as a glimmer of hope for the future. more ›