MTA delays bus network redesign completion until 2026, blames COVID-19 pandemic "The plan to modernize the bus networks was supposed to wrap 'within three years' of its launch in 2018 — in other words by 2021 — under then-NYCT chief and 'train daddy' Andy Byford....But MTA put the plans 'put on hold' during the pandemic, with only a revamp of Staten Island’s Express Bus network in place and the other boroughs at different stages of their overhauls." (amNY)
MTA Is Breaking Pandemic-Era Ridership Records, But Only Half of Riders Are Back "On Tuesday, 2.96 million straphangers rode the subway, and 1.3 million riders boarded buses. The commuter railroads have also been setting pandemic records. Metro-North broke its single-day ridership record on Monday with 122,000 commuters, and the Long Island Railroad hit 151,000 last Friday....Despite these new high water marks for ridership, the numbers are still only about half of what they were before the pandemic. NJ Transit’s ridership also remains at about 50% of pre-pandemic levels." (Gothamist)
Grand Prospect Hall denied landmark status "In a letter to the neighborhood activists campaigning to save the building, the commission stated that the building was not suitable for landmark status, citing extensive changes to its facade throughout the 20th century and the recent demolition of its historic interior." (Brooklyn Paper)
New rooftop terrace with glass pavilion and one-acre farm opens at the Javits Center "Next to an outdoor terrace and an orchard with apple and pear trees is the glass pavilion, which measures 15,000 square feet and can host 1,500 guests year-round. Sustainable features include more than 3,000 solar panels, making it the largest solar farm in Manhattan, and two underground retention cisterns to capture and treat rainwater for irrigation." (6sqft)
How New Eviction Moratorium Can Help Tenants, Landlords and Homeowners "Tenants still need to fill out a hardship declaration to be eligible for protection from eviction until the new year — the old forms still count — but now landlords have the option to push back in court. Then, it’s up to a judge to decide whether you are eligible for protection." (The City)
