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Reposted by William Meehan

Blair Lorenzo / The Fox and the City @thefoxandthecity.com · 1h

Print this and frame it on the wall with the title, "Why North American Transit Construction Costs are So High"

Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 1h

I just can't get over the differences in scale between Ballard Link's Westlake Station as proposed and the original Westlake Station, off to the left.

Ballard Link's Westlake has two separate entrances underneath separate buildings, with one showing a long tunnel to get to the train guideway. They are at least five stories deeper than the original Westlake, which is tiny and only around 10-15% of the size

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Second Ave. Sagas @2avesag.as · 36m

This is my favorite/least favorite line of community bullshit. You're not entitled to an engraved invitation to every meeting, and every CB has a public calendar. You want to know when the meetings are? Use your lazy ass to do some research.

brooklyncb6.cityofnewyork.us

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Upzone New Jersey 🏗️ @upzonenj.bsky.social · 3h

This wasn't just bad on its own. This happened at the same time as a few high profile rezonings for more density, so it gave life to the mistaken idea that those were driving price increases.

Open New York @opennewyork.org · 2d

This is one of a record 120+ neighborhood rezonings done under the Bloomberg admin—the vast majority of which were downzonings, reducing our city's housing capacity.

The effects of these rezonings on our city's housing supply are clear:

In one community, North Corona, Queens, housing growth
plummeted after a 2009 rezoning
Far more apartments were built in the 10 years before the rezoning than the 10 years after it.

[Graph shows numbers plummet after 2008

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City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 7h

A $160m isn't everything, but it's also not nothing. Could allow for a ~10% increase in LIRR service, maybe more if focused on the shoulder-peak (mornings and evenings) and mid-day.

Streetsblog NYC @nyc.streetsblog.org · 8h

And as @ndhapple.bsky.social's analysis of federal data shows, the MTA could save as much as $160 million annually if it could run the LIRR as efficiently as the Metro-North.

Read more about why you can't take the train to the game here: nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/10/08/m...

MONEY TRAIN: How LIRR Unions 'Game' The System - Streetsblog New York City

An old work rule means that the MTA would have to pay millions of dollars just to provide a little extra service after special events like Mets games or the Ryder Cup.

nyc.streetsblog.org

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Matthew Lewis is ready for progressive federalism @mateosfo.bsky.social · 21h

$11 billion to raise and widen a highway, through a wetland, during a climate crisis.

Imagine spending $11 billion on workforce housing in Marin/Sonoma/Napa/San Francisco so the people driving across 37 every day to get to work ... could just live where they work.

California is a climate pariah.

Alfred Twu @alfredtwu.com · 23h

The entire proposed Highway 37 Solano-Marin super bridge is estimated to cost $11 billion, all to replace an existing road between a couple of suburbs. And it's proposed at 114 feet wide.

For comparison, the Golden Gate Bridge is 90 feet wide.

Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 1d

Caltrans has released a cross section for the ultimate (raised viaduct) version of SR-37.

Now maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if you were building a road that you planned to keep at 4 lanes wide, I don't think it would look like this.

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William Meehan @meehan.nyc · 6h

Thank you, "Blue Neighborhood" by Troye Sivan

strawbaby jam @strawbbfields4ever.bsky.social · 23h

always remember who was there for you at your lowest. thank you cigarettes

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Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 1d

Caltrans has released a cross section for the ultimate (raised viaduct) version of SR-37.

Now maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if you were building a road that you planned to keep at 4 lanes wide, I don't think it would look like this.

Cross section of 114' wide bridge structure with each direction having a 12' outside shoulder and a 10' inside shoulder.

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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 10h

And, look, if the complaint is that emergency vehicles can't get through now that Court St has been reduced to one motor vehicle lane, then in order to be consistent you need to argue for removing parking on every side street in the city, most of which are one lane. Those are the rules!

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City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 20h

MONEY TRAIN TO THE GAME: "The MTA would have to spend at least $3 million in contracted union fees to provide the same special game-day service to Citi Field as Metro-North gives Yankee fans to go to the House that Ruth Built, data obtained by Streetsblog shows." nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/10/08/m...

MONEY TRAIN: How LIRR Unions 'Game' The System - Streetsblog New York City

An old work rule means that the MTA would have to pay millions of dollars just to provide a little extra service after special events like Mets games or the Ryder Cup.

nyc.streetsblog.org

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Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 10h

the financial district is too funny … tell me why every old office building has a name etched in stone like The Amalgamated Steamship, Corn Refining and Horse Insurance Co., 1888

and now it’s a WeWork with a salad place

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William Meehan @meehan.nyc · 10h

Vote yes on questions 2–6!

Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 1d

yes, us! here you go:

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Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 1d

Congrats to the MTA & Metro-North for completing phase 1 of the Park Avenue Viaduct replacement $93M under budget and 51 months ahead of schedule!
While the initial budget was too expensive, completing it so quickly & with so little disruption is a major victory.

www.governor.ny.gov/news/governo...

Governor Hochul Announces Phase One Milestone of MTA Park Avenue Viaduct Replacement Project

Governor Hochul announced a major Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) milestone with the completion of bridge replacement work on Phase 1 of the Park Avenue Viaduct Replacement Project.

www.governor.ny.gov

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Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 5d

Absolutely molten-hot language here from Professor Fraser Shilling, Director of the Road Ecology Center at UC Davis, on the decision to spend *half a billion* to widen Highway 37, which is sinking into the bay.

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Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 5d

Greater New York is facing an unprecedented assault on its vital transportation infrastructure.

Infrastructure is far too important to be used for political games. Read ETA's statement:

www.etany.org/statements/2...

Greater New York is facing an unprecedented assault on its vital transportation infrastructure. According to an announcement by OMB Director Russell Vought on X and later confirmed by the US Department of Transportation, $18 billion in funding for both the Second Avenue Subway and the Gateway Program’s Hudson Tunnel Project is being put “on hold” pending “administrative review.” This announcement comes one day after it came to light that the Department of Homeland Security is planning to deny New York State tens of millions of dollars for transportation security under the Homeland Security Program and Urban Area Security Initiative.

Transportation is the lifeblood of greater New York, and these projects are vital to the economies of not only the region, but the nation. Indeed, the Gateway Program is an investment in capacity right at the heart of the Northeast Corridor, by far the busiest part of the country’s rail network. The current North River Tunnels under the Hudson already carry more than 200,000 people every day, a number poised to grow dramatically once Gateway opens, and desperately need to be rehabbed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. Phase two of the Second Avenue Subway is projected to carry more than 110,000 people every day. These numbers are why Congress saw fit to appropriate funds for these important projects. It is no exaggeration to say that every significant delay for these programs translates into millions of dollars in lost economic value.

This halt will inevitably cost the taxpayer. In capital construction, time is quite literally money, and this is doubly true for projects already under construction. Work is already underway for both Gateway and Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway; this interruption may force workers in the field to put down their tools. Work schedules, equipment orders, site preparations, and the like are now uncertain. The only guarantee is that when work starts again, the price tag will be higher.

This entire situation is the result of last-minute rule making clearly designed to leave the New York region stuck in a Catch-22. The administration claims that federally required regulations dating back to the Reagan administration are now considered illegal. The MTA followed these regulations in order to be eligible for funding. To then turn around and claim that following those rules makes the program ineligible for funding leaves the region in a no-win scenario. The administration could have discussed concerns with regional leaders and come to some sort of understanding. Instead, the DOTs proposed new rules were created with such haste that, at the time of the announcement of the funding pause, they had not even been entered into the Federal Register.

Congress created the programs and appropriated the funds for these projects, recognizing their importance to the region and the nation. Whatever the reason for stopping the funds, Infrastructure is far too important to be used for political games.

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William Meehan @meehan.nyc · 5d

I'm skeptical that the same approach would be warranted in Hollis, where the problem is storm flooding coming down from the moraine. That seems like a much better opportunity for sewer upgrades

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William Meehan @meehan.nyc · 5d

Whenever I take Conduit to JFK, I'm struck by just how low The Hole is relative to the surrounding area. It's easily an immediate 10–15ft dropoff from the boulevard. Managed retreat is a really promising idea here

Samantha Maldonado @smaldo.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: A buyout program is coming for homeowners in The Hole, a NYC neighborhood unlike any other.

It’s the first time the city pursues this climate adaptation strategy proactively, instead of after a disaster, and with a focus on inland (not coastal) flooding.

www.thecity.nyc/2025/10/03/f...

They Live Below Sea Level in NYC. Now, the City Could Buy Out 'The Hole'

The low-lying neighborhood on the Brooklyn-Queens border will be the first place in New York where officials may buy properties proactively — instead of in response to a disaster.

www.thecity.nyc

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Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 6d

hopecore for your thursday morning xoxo www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMM1Earc/

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Aaron W. Gordon @agordon.me · 6d

Back when I did this kind of thing, the pitch for why more NYC newsrooms should have dedicated MTA reporters—not even "transportation" generally, just MTA—was that the MTA's annual budget was larger than that of 10 states.

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 6d

You see this particularly in the crime discussion nationally, but folks outside of New York City (and often times in New York City) do not grasp the scale and scope of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Reinvent Albany @reinventalbany.bsky.social · 6d

NEW Report: States that voted for Trump got billions from MTA Spending

Companies in red states by U.S. Senate seats received more than $3.5 billion in MTA payments over 14 years. States that voted for Trump in 2024 received nearly $7 billion from the MTA over this period.

buff.ly/Yxt4KZ6

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Marxist-Glonzoist @primaryschool.bsky.social · 7d

inbox, from Democratic Assembly nominee Katie Brennan (LD-32, Jersey City/Hoboken): Brennan Calls for New Jersey to Withhold Federal Taxes, Seize Trump’s Bedminster Golf Course After Gateway Tunnel Funding Freeze

"This is not how the government is supposed to work. We pay federal taxes but get a President who sees us as the enemy and takes away our own money as retaliation.
This has to stop.
"Donald Trump has shown again and again that he is unfit to lead this country. When he's not too busy golfing, he's doing active harm, whether it's sending masked troops into cities or shutting down vital infrastructure projects like this.
"These funds were already approved. And if people can't cross the Hudson to get to work, it will literally destroy our economy.
"We have to show Trump that this isn't okay.
"Yes, New Jersey should sue the Trump administration, but we have to do more. We should be withholding federal taxes, dollar for dollar, to backfill funding that's illegally cut.
The state should also eminent domain
Trump's golf course in Bedminster and build some affordable housing there instead. If the federal government won't stand up for New Jersey, Trenton should."

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Second Ave. Sagas @2avesag.as · 7d

MTA Statement:

Statement From MTA Chief, Policy and External Relations John J. McCarthy on Federal Funding of Second Avenue Subway Phase 2

“The federal government wants to immediately ‘review’ our compliance with rules they told us about moments ago. We’re reviewing their tweets and press releases like everyone else. For now, it looks like they’re just inventing excuses to delay one of the most important infrastructure projects in America.”

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John Lansing @pipedreaming.bsky.social · 7d

Natural gas is incredibly dangerous and it’s wild to me that we’re still putting it in new construction. Here’s why this requirement in NYC is entirely missing the mark.🧵

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 7d

I found this pretty persuasive. Maybe there's some evidence of real harm from the current regulatory status quo but doesn't really seem to be.

www.joshbarro.com/p/this-is-th...

This Is the Kind of Overregulation that Makes New York Unaffordable

The city council's plan to require plumbers to install all gas appliances in the city is an obstacle to Zohran Mamdani's pledge to freeze rents

www.joshbarro.com

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City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 7d

New Hochul statement on yesterday and today’s DC mess. State sued last night over the security grants. My guess is there’s a lawsuit by tonight over the Second Ave and Gateway stuff.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL

“Donald Trump has been clear: he is intent on using his reckless government shutdown to hurt the American people. In just 24 hours, his administration has defunded New York’s law enforcement and counterterrorism efforts and halted $18 billion in funding from critical infrastructure projects in New York City. This is political payback and an attack on New York and its residents, and it puts every family across our state in harm's way.

“Every New Yorker should be outraged. From the construction worker who could lose their job, to the commuter stuck on a delayed train, to the families who rely on brave law enforcement officers to keep them safe. I will not sit idly by while Donald Trump defunds public safety and lets our infrastructure crumble. We will use every tool available to us to restore this funding and ensure that these critical infrastructure projects get built and keep every New Yorker safe.”

###

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ca-dmv-bot @ca-dmv-bot.bsky.social · 7d

Customer: (not on record)
DMV: ?

Verdict: ACCEPTED

California license plate with text "GAY".

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Andrew Palmer @andrewp97.bsky.social · 7d

it’s that time of year again!

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William Meehan @meehan.nyc · 7d

I'm going to miss my monthly pass for two big reasons:

1) I can control exactly when I want it to start (and therefore end) based on my expected travel

2) Going from a 30-day pass for $132 to a 7-day rolling cap of $35 is a 13.6% fare increase on the MTA's most frequent riders

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 7d

Not having monthly passes on OMNY cards is a mistake not in line with worldwide best practices.

Most transit operators want regular riders to use passes: they simplify fare enforcement, provide steady revenue, and most importantly, encourage people to ride transit regularly.

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