Walder’s arrival from London, where he transformed a flagging bus and subway system, brought high hopes for New York’s transit system, says Michael Grynbaum. But is he meeting the expectations of riders and officials?
Walder was eager to focus on modernization projects, but soon found he had inherited a dire financial situation, facing down a $1 billion budget gap, writes Grynbaum. With the MTA near collapse, Walder oversaw the most draconian service cuts in a generation, the third fare increase in three years, and the first layoffs in decades. Still, he has managed to implement some improvements, installing countdown clocks on subway platforms and equipping cross-town buses with GPS so riders can monitor progress.
Small improvements are laudable in the current economic climate but may not be enough to win the favor of the state's next governor, who will determine whether Walder stays on at the MTA, Grynbaum notes:
"Despite such impressive results on many of the system's most intractable problems, Mr. Walder's tenure remains, in the minds of many residents and politicians, underlined by its moment: one in which New Yorkers are being forced to pay more for less service."
FULL STORY: Strapped: A Bumpy Year
Judge Extends NYC Congestion Pricing Through at Least June 9
A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s effort to kill the program, which remains in limbo as a lawsuit filed by the MTA moves forward.
Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
NYC Camera Program Captures 400,000 Bus Lane Violations
Bus speeds increased by as much as 25 percent on some routes after enforcement began last August.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)