Talking Headways Podcast: Train Daddy Loves You Very Much

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This week, we’re joined by Ben Kabak of Second Avenue Sagas, a seminal transit site in New York City. Kabak discusses local issues, including who controls the MTA, why subway rides are getting faster, why he started writing about transit in the city, and the L train un-shutdown, which has been widely covered by our Streetsblog NYC team. We also chat about the 14th Street busway, bad airport transit, and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s fascination with ferries.

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By Brad Aaron |
It’s the largest transit system in the United States, moving millions of people daily throughout New York City and beyond and serving as the lifeblood of one of the largest economies in the world. Unfortunately, writes Streetsblog Network member Benjamin Kabak on Second Avenue Sagas, those who depend on the MTA — and those whom […]

Stand Clear of the Doors — It’s Time for a Big Mac!

By Brad Aaron |
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Protecting NYC Transit From the Next Storm: Searching for Specifics

By Brad Aaron |
Today on the Streetsblog Network: Known Unknowns. Ben Kabak at Second Avenue Sagas examines the capital funding request from New York MTA staff to its board, which estimates that nearly $5 billion is needed to restore the city’s transit system to pre-Sandy working order. Missing from the document, Kabak writes, is a plan to protect transit infrastructure […]

How Much Will New Federal Safety Mandates Cost Transit Agencies?

By Angie Schmitt |
This transportation bill, it’s just full of not-so-fun surprises for city dwellers. While the bill more or less maintained overall funding for transit agencies, Ben Kabak at Network blog Second Avenue Sagas is concerned about the impact of new safety mandates for subway systems, which he says are unnecessary: As I’ve mentioned before, a few Washington politicians […]

Connecticut Train Collision Exposes Cracks in the Northeast Corridor

By Angie Schmitt |
Investigators are still poring over Friday’s train derailment and collision in Connecticut. Early reports point to damaged track as the cause of the crash that injured 70 people. Meanwhile, Amtrak has said that the route connecting New York and Boston will be closed for several days while the investigation continues, and Metro-North says commuter rail service […]

Speeding Enforcement Cameras Work, and They’re Coming to Chicago

By Angie Schmitt |
Here’s what’s happening around the Network today: Speeding Cameras Coming to Chicago: New legislation has cleared the way for automated speeding enforcement — speeding cameras — in Chicago. The cameras will be used only in “safety zones,” or areas around schools and parks. Fines will be $50 – $100 depending on the magnitude of the […]