Author: Joseph Morales

Critical Signal Upgrades Coming to Metro-North

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By Joseph Morales

The Metro-North Railroad is a commuter rail network with three main lines connecting New York’s northern suburbs with The Bronx and Manhattan. Countless suburban downtowns across the Mid-Hudson Region and Connecticut have been built around Metro-North stations. The network’s hub at Grand Central Terminal gives riders access to Manhattan’s Central Business District. It is here where riders can also transfer to the NYC Subway and the Long Island Rail Road in order to make trips across NYC and the NY Metro region. Overall, the Metro-North has served an average of roughly 230,000 riders daily according to data from October 2024.

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Major Protected Bike Lane Extension Coming To Upper Manhattan

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By Joseph Morales

Dyckman Street is one of the busiest commercial streets in Northern Manhattan. Its assortment of retail offerings from national chains to smaller businesses attract shoppers from throughout Upper Manhattan and The Bronx. In addition, the corridor is home to several restaurants including ethnic offerings like Cachapa y Mas and Chinito Latino Hibachi Fusion. The street also has a dense residential population and sits in between the Inwood and Washington Heights sections of Manhattan. Dyckman Street is served by the M100 bus route along with the 1 and A trains. The street is also connected to the Henry Hudson Pkwy and Harlem River Dr along with the greenways that accompany those highways. There is also a protected bike lane on Dyckman through its commercial core from the Harlem River Dr to Seaman Ave. 

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Transit Improvements Boost Accessibility for New Staten Island Amusement Center

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By Joseph Morales

    The old Safari Golf in the Eltingville section of Staten Island was once the go to for those wanting to have fun in the borough. It evolved multiple times in its 70-year history and was a source of entertainment in multiple forms. The facility went from a drive-in restaurant and arcade known as Al Deppe’s between the 20s and the 60s, to Safari Golf and Val’s Pizzeria from the 90s to 2010. Staten Islanders across several generations shared fond memories of fun, pizza and family time at what was once a South Shore funplex.

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Multiple New Programs Will Make E-Bike Use Safer and Easier in NYC

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By Joseph Morales

  Electric bicycles and scooters have rapidly become popular mobility devices in New York City since becoming legal in 2020. A report from FOX 5 New York says that 65,000 e-bikes were being used in NYC in 2023. E-scooters have been similarly popular. A pilot e-scooter share program had 150,000 users in the East Bronx alone between August 2021 and August 2023. Many use these mobility devices as a convenient means to get around without the hassles associated with driving or mass transit. In addition, a large number of delivery workers use e-bikes due to their lower costs and ability to operate at speeds of 20-25 mph. Others use the bikes for pure recreation, especially in New York’s plethora of vast green spaces. 

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Accessibility Upgrades Nearly Complete at Major South Bronx Subway Station

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By Joseph Morales

The 3 Av-149th St subway station is one of the busiest subway stations in The Bronx. Its location in The Hub section of The Bronx is one of the borough’s busiest cultural and commercial centers. The station is also just a few blocks away from St. Mary’s Park which has a slew of sports fields and is one of the larger green spaces in The Bronx. Other major destinations include  the Bronx Documentary Center and The Dominican Consulate’s Bronx location. In addition, many Bronxites from neighborhoods north of the station take the Bx15 and Bx41-SBS bus routes to access the subway here. In fact, MTA data from 2019 shows that the transfer between the Bx15 and the subway at the 3 Av-149th St station was the most popular bus to subway transfer in the Bronx by more than 1,000 daily riders. The station should continue to get even busier as the South Bronx is one of the faster growing areas of NYC. 

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New Amtrak Routes Could Bolster Connections Between New York and Pennsylvania

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By Joseph Morales

  The states of New York and Pennsylvania are interconnected in a plethora of ways. For starters, New Yorkers love to take advantage of the state’s many tourist and recreation spots. This includes places from the majestic landscapes of the Poconos to the charming and bustling streets of Philadelphia. Many NY families also visit Pennsylvania’s many amusement destinations including Dorney Park in Allentown, Sesame Place in Langhorne, and the three indoor water parks in the Poconos. In addition, many New Yorkers are likely headed to Pennsylvania to visit family and friends this holiday season. This is because Pennsylvania ranked third among states New Yorkers moved to in 2023, beating California by about 7,500 people. 

Philadelphia skyline as seen from parking lot in Philadelphia’s Elmwood Park neighborhood.
Signage and design at entrance to Kalahari Waterpark Resort in Pocono Manor, PA.
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CitiBike Expansion Set To Change Micromobility in Eastern Brooklyn

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By Joseph Morales

First started in 2013, CitiBike has grown immensely popular throughout New York City since its inception. The bikeshare program, owned by Lyft, serves over 1,000 cyclists daily with 25,000 bikes from over 1,500 stations across four boroughs and parts of New Jersey. CitiBike has been substantially used everywhere it has been implemented with many using it to go to work, run errands or just have fun. Lyft even has an “Explore NYC” page on its website where it has the names of some popular spots to ride and includes the phrase “See the sights. All of ‘em.” This indicates just how much CitiBike can truly be used for recreation. 

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Hunter College Subway Station Now Fully Accessible

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By Joseph Morales

The 68th St-Hunter College station on the 6 train is one of the busier subway stations on Manhattan’s Upper East Side(UES). The station is the primary station serving its namesake Hunter College and its tens of thousands of students and faculty. Outside of the college, the station is within walking distance of several important destinations such as the Central Park Zoo, the Asia Society and Museum and the Hospital for Special Surgery. The station is also located in one of NYC’s most populated and congested residential communities. In addition, data from the NYC Department of City Planning shows that only 30% of UES residents own cars. This coupled with the various destinations the station serves leads to 20,000 riders relying on it daily based on MTA figures. 

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Several Queens LIRR Stations Set To Become Fully Accessible

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By Joseph Morales

The Long Island Rail Road(LIRR) is a vital mode of transportation for thousands of Queens residents. This is especially true in Southeastern Queens, where many communities are miles from a subway station. In addition, the railroad is the only means that many have to get to Long Island and major reverse commuting destinations such as Mineola and Rockville Centre. Many LI residents also rely on the railroad to get to Queens given the number of areas such as Long Island City and Forest Hills that are hard to drive to. According to data from the NYC Department of City Planning, 37% of Queens residents do not have access to a car. This demonstrates just how critical the LIRR is to the mobility of residents.

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New Law Aims To Reduce Speeding in Connecticut After Year of Crackdowns

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By Joseph Morales

    Connecticut’s highways are among the busiest in the Northeast. Data from fleet management company, Coast, shows that five of the ten northeast cities with the busiest highways are located in the Constitution State. This makes sense as the state’s highway arteries such as Interstate 95 and 91 are the primary means most have to get between cities or travel significant distances. These also serve as critical travel nodes for anyone trying to traverse the Northeast as CT is directly in between New York and Boston. 

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