While a number of other U.S. cities’ mass transit systems have already moved beyond plastic swipe cards and now use fobs or other smart keys, New York City with more than 450 subway stops, nearly 250 miles of track, and around 600 buses, has not made that next-gen leap. But now the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will finally begin to phase out the use of MetroCards over the coming years. [More]
new york city
Charter Sues NYC Union, Accuses Striking Workers Of Sabotaging Cables
By 10.18.17
For six months now, union workers for Charter in New York and New Jersey have been on strike. Now the cable company has filed a lawsuit against the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3, accusing union members of sabotaging customers’ cable installations to make Charter look bad. [More]
GM Wants To Be The First Company To Test Driverless Cars On NYC Streets
By 10.17.17
With its maze of one-way streets, congestion, aggressive taxi drivers, double-parked cars, occasional motorcades, parades, and exploding manhole covers, New York City can be a challenge for even the more skilled drivers. And if General Motors gets its wish, you could soon add driverless to this mix. [More]
Hotel Group Attack Ad Falsely Links Airbnb To Terrorism
By 8.7.17
There are a lot of justifiable reasons to take issue with home-rental platforms like airbnb: “Mega hosts” who are renting out dozens — maybe hundreds — of listings without being subject to hotel taxes or regulations; hosts who will turn just about any vaguely inhabitable space into a rental property; and allegations that airbnb fails to properly vet hosts. But one anti-airbnb hotel group has gone a step further, using incidents of real human tragedy to try to create a false link between airbnb and terrorism. [More]
Ride-Hailing Apps In NYC One Step Away From In-App Tipping
By 7.20.17
A month ago, Uber rolled out optional in-app tipping nationwide, which made it look a little more driver-friendly while stuck in a traffic jam of terrible publicity. We’re sure that change had nothing to do with what happened in New York’s City Council today: A bill that would require ride-hailing apps to let customers tip within the app passed the transportation committee and is on its way to the mayor’s desk. [More]
There Are Only 32 Retail Gas Stations Left In Manhattan
By 7.19.17
Every day, new people arrive in New York City, and those people need housing. In response to that demand, developers in Manhattan have been busy knocking down old buildings and putting up new ones. One casualty of that real estate boom? Gas stations, which have become increasingly rare in recent years. [More]
Dollar Stores Go Corporate As Big Chains Put Indie Discounters Out Of Business
By 7.13.17
Across the country, the Dollar Store Wars mean that the national chains Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Express are fighting it out across the country for customers’ affection and brand loyalty. National chains have taken over just about every other retail category, so will independent dollar stores be able to survive? [More]
NYC Landlords Busted For Renting Illegal Rooftop Shacks On Airbnb
By 5.18.17
If you see an Airbnb listing for a New York City apartment with rooftop views, be warned that you may be paying hundreds of dollars a night to stay in an illegally constructed shack underneath a bridge. [More]
Drivers For Ride-Hailing App Juno Claim Company Misled Them With Promises Of Stock
By 5.16.17
Last year, drivers for ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft were excited about a new competing app, Juno, which promised to grant drivers stock in the company along with lower commissions and in-app tipping. Juno was recently acquired by yet another service, Gett, and the drivers have seen their equity evaporate, leading them to file a complaint with federal regulators. [More]
After Decades Of Free Admission, Tourists May Need To Pay To Visit NYC’s Met Museum
By 4.26.17
In New York City, there are a few differences between locals and tourists: Locals tend to walk faster, avoid Times Square like the plague, and have no qualms about eating street meat from roving carts. There could soon be another divide between the two groups, as the city’s Metropolitan Museum of Art may start charging admission to nonresidents. [More]
NYC Will Require Uber App To Allow Tipping (Eventually)
By 4.17.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Tipping is a confusing issue when it comes to ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft in New York City. Drivers are allowed to accept cash tips, but they aren’t allowed to ask for them. What’s more, the Lyft app includes the ability to put that tip on your credit card, but Uber’s app is still tip-less. That will change later this year, as NYC will require Uber to include tipping on its mobile platform. [More]
Uber’s Plan To Let Drivers Ask For Tips May Be Illegal In Some States
By 3.22.17
Unlike traditional taxis, Uber passengers aren’t expected to tip; you can’t even add a tip on the app. However, Uber did recently settle a class-action lawsuit by allowing drivers to solicit and receive tips, but only in cash. One big problem: This policy appears to be illegal in multiple states. [More]
NYC Suing Verizon For Failing To Make FiOS Available To All Residents
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
The more choices a consumers has, the better. That’s why New York City has been pushing Verizon to finally make good on its promise to offer FiOS to all residents. Months after NYC warned Verizon it was in default of an agreement to do just that, the city is now following through on its threat to sue Verizon for breaking its promise. [More]
NYC Investigating After Rare Disease Transmitted Through Rat Urine Kills Victim
By 2.15.17
New York City officials have a mystery on their hands: There have been three recent cases of humans falling ill — including one fatality — with a rare disease that’s transmitted through rat urine, all in the same neighborhood of the Bronx. [More]
Sodium Warnings Will Stay On The Menu In NYC After Court Ruling
By 2.10.17
Nine months after a New York court denied a request from a restaurant trade group to stop New York City’s rule requiring warning labels on foods high in sodium from going into effect. The eateries took their gripe to an appeals court, which today ruled that these warnings aren’t going anywhere. [More]
Can You Get Bird Flu From Your Cat?
By 12.20.16
At first glance, the above headline might seem like a no-brainer — “Cats aren’t birds, silly!” you might be thinking. But what if your favorite feline caught bird flu — would that mean you’re at risk for catching the bug, too? [More]
Airbnb Won’t Be Held Liable For Law-Breaking Listings In NYC
By 12.5.16
Back in October, the state of New York passed a new law specifically aimed at micro-hoteliers who rent out one or more New York City apartments to tourists. Airbnb immediately sued the state and the city over how the law will be enforced, and now the case has been settled. [More]
Renting A Rulebreaking Airbnb Could Leave You Without A Place To Sleep
By 11.28.16
While Airbnb and New York City continue to battle it out over new restrictions that would penalize hosts with hefty fines for subletting whole apartments for less than 30 days, a California couple says the law — which isn’t currently being enforced — led to a costly and frustrating scenario while visiting the Big Apple. [More]
