NYC Transit Strike Enters Second Day

The Transit Union disputes a daily fine of $1 million for ignoring injunctions barring a strike. The strike causes traffic chaos and estimates of economic damages reach $400 million per day.

1 minute read

December 21, 2005, 7:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"New Yorkers made the long, cold commute to work on the second day of the transit strike this morning without subways or buses, as negotiations between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the transit union remained at an impasse.

Traffic was snarled this morning along many of the city's major roadways, including the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, as many commuters tried to get to get into Manhattan before a 5 a.m. ban on cars with fewer than four people took effect. The prohibition ends at 11 a.m."

"...The strike began after talks between the union and the transportation authority - which gripped the entire city in a vise of anxiety for weeks - broke apart late Monday night, after the union rejected the authority's last offer. The authority had agreed to drop its previous demand to raise the retirement age for a full pension to 62 for new transit employees, up from 55 for current employees, but said it expected all future transit workers to pay 6 percent of their wages toward their pensions, up from the current 2 percent."

Wednesday, December 21, 2005 in

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

November 11, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking and cycling on a street in Boston.

Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking

New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.

November 8, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Mamdani speaks behind a podium in a navy suit.

DSA members accuse Mamdani of 'abandoning values' over housing redevelopment

New York City's mayor plans to replace about 2,000 units of public housing with private, mixed-income housing.

November 12 - Gothamist

Streetview of Colorado boulevard, a multi-lane road with trees on either side.

All sides of BRT debate unhappy with CDOT’s most recent move

The Colorado Department of Transportation is no longer considering center-running bus lanes for Colorado Boulevard.

November 12 - 9 News

Solar panels above a cranberry boy, with workers collecting berries.

Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries

Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

November 12 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.