Stephen Nessen
Verified- Transportation Reporter and Photographer, WNYC (New York, NY)
- Transportation Reporter and Photographer, Gothamist
Beats, Rhymes and Rails: WNYC transportation reporter/photographer/record collector -- member of #TransitCognoscenti -- Email tips: snessen@wnyc.org
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Stephen Nessen
NYC artist creates device that slows Citi Bikes passing through rent-burdened areas
There are many benchmarks to measure the city’s affordability crisis, but one crafty “technologist” has devised a novel way for New Yorkers to physically feel the disparity in rent burdens. Justin Blinder, 41, built a device that attaches to the fork of a Citi Bike and is outfitted with a GPS locator along with a card loaded with census data detailing where people have the hardest time paying their rent.
Should drivers cover the $4 billion cost of Mamdani's BQE fix?
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has a $4 billion plan to fix a section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. But how is he going to pay for it?
NYC's plan to fix BQE sparks concerns over temporary highway in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to fix a crumbling stretch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is already hitting some bumps in the road. The mayor on Monday said the city will repair the highway’s dilapidated triple-cantilever structure in Brooklyn Heights by fully closing the roadway. But in order to handle the 130,000 vehicles that use the corridor each day, he plans to build a temporary highway on Furman Street that will run along the edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Mamdani plans to build temporary highway in Brooklyn Heights to fix crumbling part of BQE
New York City officials say they need to erect a temporary highway next to Brooklyn Bridge Park in order to rebuild a half-mile section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that’s been crumbling for years. The city transportation department on Monday announced the highway’s triple-cantilever will be closed while it’s rebuilt and restored in the 2030s. The project to repair the two stacked roadways beneath the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is expected to last a decade.
Springs between NYC subway cars keep injuring transit workers
To riders, the metal springs stretched between nearly all of New York City’s subway cars might seem innocuous. But to many transit workers, they’re another hazard in a dangerous job. The springs are designed to prevent visually impaired passengers from accidentally falling from the platform between train cars.
Cyclists to Mamdani: Electric Citi Bikes are way too expensive
The cost to ride electric Citi Bikes is too damn high. That’s according to advocates who are calling on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to cap the e-bike fee for members at $3. Citi Bike members currently pay $12.15 for a 45-minute e-bike ride, on top of a $239 annual membership fee that also gives them free rides on analog, non-electric bikes. Organizers with Transportation Alternatives said lowering fees would align with Mamdani’s affordability agenda and get more New Yorkers out of cars.
Advertising revenue is boon for MTA, but some subway riders lament ‘ad creep’
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday. A morning commute on the subway in 2026 can go a little like this: Listen to Woody promoting a new “Toy Story” movie while you wait on the platform.
Mamdani hasn't made NYC's buses free. Riders stopped paying anyway.
It still costs $3 to ride the MTA’s buses, despite Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign pledge to make them free for everyone. But don’t tell that to a growing number of New Yorkers who are evading the fare. The MTA last week reported paid bus ridership fell nearly 8% in June compared to the same month last year, despite the subway and commuter railroads bringing in more fares.
'Just a pure weird moment': Art project takes over Manhattan subway kiosk
A whimsical sight awaited subway riders wandering the downtown B, D, F and M train platform at the West Fourth Street station on Saturday afternoon: a newly reopened newspaper kiosk with nothing for sale. Instead, there were free zines, a “train aura” photo booth and a very limited supply of lucky rat foot keychains. “Just a pure weird moment,” said the man behind the project, Al Mullen, 37.
MTA plans to fix Brooklyn's worst subway bottlenecks, IDs 70 congested spots in system
A report published by the MTA on Wednesday lays out plans to fix two of the worst bottlenecks in the subway system — and identifies dozens of other pain points that cause daily headaches for millions of riders. Under one plan, the 3 and 5 trains would swap tracks east of Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn in order to untangle the Nostrand Junction, which state Sen.
Will Prospect Heights drivers move their cars for one less day of alternate-side parking?
Car owners in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights will soon be treated to a carrot that officials hope will get them to move their car for street sweepers: one less day of alternate-side parking. The change is part of a pilot program being led by Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who represents the neighborhood. She and the Department of Sanitation say too many drivers aren’t moving their cars on alternate-side days.
Subway riders on 1, 2 and 3 trains should brace for headaches over next 5 weekends
New Yorkers who rely on the 1, 2 and 3 subway lines should brace for major disruptions over the next five weekends. The changes, which go into effect around 9:30 p.m. Friday, were announced by the transit agency in a news release this week. The release stated that 1 trains will not run south of 14th Street, 2 trains won’t run south of 34th Street and 3 trains will not run at all during each weekend between Friday nights and 5 a.m. on Mondays through Aug. 24.
MTA wraps up $106M renovation of Borough Hall subway where ceiling collapsed in 2018
The MTA on Wednesday wrapped up a five-year renovation to the Borough Hall station in downtown Brooklyn. The $106 million project replaced the station’s once-crumbling ceiling, a piece of which collapsed and hit a woman in 2018. The transit agency also added three new elevators, making all its platforms fully accessible. The station was also “flood-proofed” to prevent water from cascading down stairs and grates during the types of downpours that are growing more frequent in the city.
Brooklyn’s dollar vans squeezed by Mamdani’s Flatbush Avenue bus plan
The unlicensed network of dollar vans that hustle up and down Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn is on a collision course with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push to speed up bus service. The vans are faster and cheaper than the city’s official buses. And unlike the MTA’s buses, they take cash — a flat $2 fare. But they’re also illegal and peel business away from the transit agency. MTA Chair Janno Lieber has for years called for the city to kick them off the road.
Are Waymo robotaxis actually safer than NYC Uber and taxi drivers?
A new report argues Waymo taxis cause “way mo” fatal crashes and injuries per mile driven than other for-hire vehicles in New York City. The report published by traffic expert Sam Schwartz’s research program at Hunter College and Open Plans compared the number of major crashes and deaths per mile travelled between the city’s Uber and Lyfts and Waymo vehicles around the country since 2020.
Second person dies in Manhattan Legionnaires' cluster
The New York City Health Department says two people have now died in connection with a Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The department confirmed the second death late Saturday, but also said its data shows a sustained decline in newly diagnosed cases. “While we mourn this loss, the data are also encouraging,” Dr. Alister Martin, the city health commissioner, said.
World Cup marks a rare goaaaaaal for New York area transit
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday. Spain and Argentina will face off in the World Cup final on Sunday, but New Jersey’s scrappy transportation networks have so far been the underappreciated MVP of the tournament.
Amtrak study finds way to run more trains at Penn Station without razing a Midtown block Original
Amtrak’s plan to reconstruct Penn Station could increase rush hour service between New Jersey and Midtown by 33% without expanding the train hub’s footprint, according to a preliminary study released by the Trump administration on Wednesday. The report, published by the Federal Railway Administration, lays out how the inefficient turnover of trains at the station’s cramped platforms strains service.
NYC carriage horse drivers make last stand at marathon City Hall hearing
Carriage horse industry supporters charged into City Hall on Wednesday to urge city councilmembers to say “neigh” to a bill that would abolish horse-drawn rides in New York City. The legislation would phase out carriage rides in Central Park by June 2028 and establish a “workforce development program” for the 208 workers currently licensed to drive the buggies. Similar proposals have been floated for decades.
Brooklyn's busiest bus route may finally get a boost. Commuters have waited decades.
Riders boarding buses on Utica Avenue from Crown Heights to Kings Plaza know they’re in for a slog. It’s Brooklyn’s busiest bus corridor, carrying more than 15,000 daily riders on the B46 route. But those buses move at a sluggish pace of just 6.9 mph due to traffic-clogged streets made worse by double-parked delivery trucks, Ubers and dollar vans. “As it is now, sometimes it's extremely slow,” said Maria Misonet, 65, who lives off Utica Avenue.
MTA and Mamdani tout a new day for NYC buses after Eric Adams stalled projects
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and MTA Chair Janno Lieber stood arm to arm, grinning ear to ear during a news conference in downtown Brooklyn on Wednesday.
NYC job alert: City seeks BQE czar to rebuild ramshackle triple-cantilever
New York City’s Department of Transportation is looking for a “creative” engineer to run one of the country’s most challenging infrastructure projects: fixing the decrepit triple cantilever section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Last week, the department listed a job for an “assistant commissioner to address the aging infrastructure” on the BQE between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, which is used by 130,000 vehicles daily.
NYC's buses aren't free, but they would speed up under new plan by Mamdani, MTA
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the MTA on Wednesday released a new plan to speed up buses for 2 million New Yorkers along some of the most sluggish routes in the city, adjusting streetlights and allowing riders to board through the rear doors. The initiative aims to increase bus speeds by 20% along 50 “priority corridors” that have the slowest buses and relatively high ridership.
'Every second counts': Congestion pricing speeds up ambulances in Manhattan, study finds
Congestion pricing has not only reduced gridlock in Manhattan — new research shows it could also be saving lives. A new paper published Monday by six academics for the National Bureau of Economic Research found the tolls have significantly sped up ambulance response times below 60th Street since January 2025, when the MTA started charging drivers a daily fee to enter the area.
NJ Transit riders lose patience as World Cup disrupts commutes for locals at Penn Station
The World Cup left many NJ Transit commuters miffed on Tuesday as the tournament’s France-Senegal game at MetLife Stadium shut down most of the agency’s rail services at Penn Station. The event was the second of eight World Cup matches to be hosted in the Meadowlands this summer — but the first to interfere with weekday transit service. For four hours before each match, the NJ Transit areas of Penn Station are reserved exclusively for World Cup-bound riders.
Bridge over toxic Gowanus Canal reopens after 5 years of repairs
The historic Carroll Street Bridge reopened Monday after a five-year repair project shut down the key connection over the Gowanus Canal. The landmarked 137-year-old crossing is one of the oldest in the city and has a unique design. It’s shaped like a trapezoid and is retractable — it can split apart to allow boats and barges to pass.
Bikes get a lane, illegally parked cars get the boot in downtown Brooklyn redesign
The city transportation department plans to install a protected bike lane to fill in one of the most glaring gaps in Brooklyn’s cycling network — and eliminate a hive of illegal parking in the process. The project, which was announced earlier this month, aims to extend the bike lane that connects to the Brooklyn Bridge. The lane abruptly cuts off at Adams and Johnson Streets, forcing many cyclists to swerve into traffic.
NYC erupts as Knicks win Game 5, NBA championship for first time in half a century
New York City is rejoicing Saturday night after the New York Knicks claimed their first NBA championship since 1973 — and set off a street party like no other in the five boroughs, five decades in the making. The victory marked the culmination of a two-month playoff run that captivated the region. And when the final buzzer rang, the shouting could be heard around the city.
NYC erupts as Knicks win Game 5, NBA championship for first time in half a century
|
NFL 4 hours ago Former NFL defensive lineman Aldon Smith dies at age 36 ESPN - Nick Wagoner • 4h SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Former NFL defensive lineman Aldon Smith died Saturday in the Bay Area. He was 36.
By Caroline Lewis Verified, Brittany Kriegstein Verified, Stephen Nessen Verified, Arun Venugopal Verified, David Brand
|
Flipboard
NJ Transit enters the global stage as World Cup games kick off at MetLife Stadium
North Jersey’s transportation networks will be put to the test Saturday as the Garden State’s slate of FIFA World Cup games kicks off at MetLife Stadium with a group match at 6 p.m. between Brazil and Morocco. The stadium’s parking lots will be closed to drivers, and event organizers are relying on NJ Transit trains, shuttle buses, and thousands of Uber and Lyft cars to get nearly 80,000 ticketholders into the stadium for each game.
Will the deadly scooter vs. cyclist crash on Queensboro Bridge bike path serve as a wake-up call?
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday.
Only Uber will be allowed to do drop-offs at NJ's World Cup games, officials warn
Garden State officials on Wednesday warned World Cup ticketholders that there will be no cheap way to get to this summer’s games at MetLife Stadium. New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Priya Jain said fans can’t get dropped off in private vehicles and should avoid biking or hoofing it to the games, which are expected to draw nearly 80,000 attendees. “Do not plan on driving to the stadium.
MTA advances long-awaited 2nd Avenue subway extension that's set to transform East Harlem
The MTA broke ground Monday on a major milestone to advance the century-in-the-making effort to extend the Second Avenue subway into East Harlem, bringing three new stations to the neighborhood and connecting the Q line to the Metro-North and the Lexington Avenue subway lines at 125th Street. Crews began excavating a hole at East 119th Street and Second Avenue, which will make way for one of two tunnel boring machines that will dig out the new subway tunnel.
Recent tunnel fires stoke fears about a World Cup transit meltdown
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday. Tens of thousands of World Cup fans are counting on Amtrak’s infrastructure to get them safely to World Cup games starting on June 13.
Mamdani picks street redesign pioneer Janette Sadik-Khan for MTA Board
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is sending a prominent street fighter to the MTA in his push for fast and free buses. Janette Sadik-Khan, a former commissioner of the city's Department of Transportation, is Mamdani’s choice to fill one of two vacant seats on the MTA board. Sadik-Khan served in former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration and was a key architect of the city’s bike lane network and current streetscape.
Mamdani to announce bike lane plans that would finally end McGuinness Boulevard saga
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is closing the book on one of the city’s most controversial bike lane projects. Mamdani’s Department of Transportation is expected to announce Wednesday the redesign of McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn will be completed after years of delays.
'The Ordinary Bus': Skincare company offers free rides between Domino and Prospect parks
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has yet to realize his campaign promise of making the buses fast and free — but one skincare company is offering free rides between two premier Brooklyn parks for the next two weeks. The Ordinary is offering a free hourly shuttle bus running between Domino Park on the Williamsburg waterfront and Prospect Park from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, and noon to 7 p.m. on weekdays through June 9.
LIRR strike ended with solid raises for workers, but no reforms to costly work rules
The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike ended with a deal Monday that gave workers a solid raise — but the MTA settled without reforms to notorious work rules officials had sought in exchange for the pay bump. Throughout the strike, MTA Chair Janno Lieber said he wanted the unions to give up benefits that date back to when the LIRR was privately owned, like a rule that requires double pay for locomotive engineers who drive diesel and electric trains on the same shifts.
LIRR service to remain suspended Tuesday morning as strike drags on
Long Island Rail Road service will remain suspended Tuesday morning as the MTA and striking labor unions could not reach a deal on Monday night in time to get crews in position to run trains, according to the transit agency and labor representatives.
MTA raised alarms about Amtrak tunnel plan before this week's Penn Station meltdown
MTA officials spent months last year warning that an Amtrak construction plan would spark service meltdowns at Penn Station. That prediction proved true Thursday after a fire in an East River train tunnel sparked widespread service disruptions that continued into Saturday morning. Amtrak owns four East River tunnels that are also used by Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit trains.
Down to the wire: LIRR slated to shut down at midnight unless MTA and unions reach a deal
The Long Island Rail Road inched perilously close to a full shutdown on Friday as five unions prepared to go on strike if they don't reach a deal with the MTA by midnight. The deadline was the culmination of months of negotiations that included several interventions by an emergency board set up by President Donald Trump. But as of Friday morning, unions representing a majority of the LIRR’s workers still had not agreed to new contracts with the transit agency.
Neither fast nor free: MTA fare crackdown slows some buses
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday.
Fire breaks out at Penn Station, upending LIRR and NJ Transit service
A fire broke out in an East River train tunnel Thursday morning, upending service in and out of Penn Station. Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams said the blaze broke out at 11:25 a.m. in a tunnel that connects the Long Island Rail Road between Manhattan and Queens. He said the fire wasn’t put out until 12:55 p.m. The MTA halted Long Island Rail Road service in both directions between the train hub and Jamaica Station, and NJ Transit diverted all its Midtown Direct transit to Hoboken Terminal.
NJ Transit plans to make train cars and stations smell like lavender
The Garden State's official flower may be the blue violet, but the official smell of NJ Transit is now lavender. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri on Tuesday announced the scent as the preferred fragrance for cleaning solutions the agency plans to use in stations and train cars. It’s part of a new push by Gov. Mikie Sherrill to make quick upgrades to the beleaguered transit system. “ I hope people smell lavender,” Kolluri said during a news conference.
Old bridges above Brooklyn subway tracks are crumbling, with steel like Swiss cheese
Two century-old bridges above a busy Brooklyn subway station have grown so corroded from a lack of maintenance that city officials have begun questioning their structural integrity, engineering records show. The bridges support the sections of Newkirk and Foster avenues on either side of Newkirk Plaza, which sits above the trench where the B and Q subway lines run.
Congestion pricing takes a toll on South Bronx air quality, report finds
This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday. The Bronx just can’t catch a break.
Congestion pricing takes a toll on South Bronx air quality, report finds
New York Yankees Star Aaron Judge Can Make MLB History In Brewers Series On Friday night, the New York Yankees will open up a series with the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin.They are coming off a series where they took two …
Historic LaGuardia Airport terminal deserted after Spirit Airlines shutdown
The abrupt shutdown of Spirit Airlines over the weekend has turned an entire terminal at LaGuardia Airport into a ghost town. Just last Friday, the airport’s tiny but mighty Marine Air Terminal was abuzz with Spirit Airlines passengers. The low-cost airline held the lease at all six of the gates at the landmarked terminal, which dates back to 1940 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Historic LaGuardia Airport terminal deserted after Spirit Airlines shutdown
1 day ago Spirit Airlines customers across the country have been stranded due to the sudden closure of the low-cost carrier. For many, it meant quickly rebooking on another airline. For some, it meant they were left unable to return home. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a way back home,” Artyna Luke, who was …
Trump’s Penn Station rebuild opens door to unifying New York’s railroads
For generations, New York City transportation planners have dreamed of a unified, regional transit system that would allow commuters to ride from New Jersey to Long Island without transferring. Gone would be the days of buying separate tickets from separate agencies run by separate states. The idea to unite New York and New Jersey’s busiest railroads has long been dismissed by elected officials on both sides of the Hudson River for logistical and political reasons.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Stephen
Contact Stephen, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack