MTA Finance Committee Approves Fare Hike

NEW YORK, NY [NY1] — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority finance committee voted today to approve higher fares for subway, buses and commuter trains, two days ahead of the full board’s vote.

The agency has threatened that unless Albany lawmakers come up with a bailout plan by Wednesday, the fare hikes and service cuts will take effect.

Details Emerge On Massive MTA Fare Hike

NEW YORK, NY [NY1] — With lawmakers in Albany still unable to come to an agreement on a rescue plan for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority, details of a massive fare hike are slowly coming into focus.

Sources tell NY1 that riders can expect a $2.50 subway fare and a $103 monthly MetroCard.

Bloomberg to Meet Obama at White House

NEW YORK, NY [MSNBC] — News 4 New York has learned Mayor Michael Bloomberg will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House this Friday.

On the agenda: How to get more federal dollars to places like New York City for infrastructure projects that in turn create jobs.

Feds OK Mayor Bloomberg’s Term Limits Change

NEW YORK [AP] — Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s change to city term-limits law won approval from the federal government Tuesday, clearing the final hurdle for the billionaire to run for a third term this year.

Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department must approve modifications to voting rules in New York City as a way to prevent those changes from discriminating against voters.

Third Suspect Found Guilty in Timoshenko Murder

NEW YORK [WABC] — A jury has convicted Lee Woods, the third suspect on trial for the murder of New York City police officer Russel Timoshenko.

Woods was convicted on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated attempted murder, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

NY Waterway Suing US Airways over Flight 1549

NEW YORK, NY [NY1] — Ferry company New York Waterways says it is having trouble staying afloat, and may need to file for bankruptcy protection this year.

This is the same company that came to the rescue when US Airways Flight 1549 landed on the Hudson in January.

NYPD to Crackdown on Drivers Talking on Phones

NEW YORK, NY — The NYPD this week plans to crack down on motorists who use cellphones while driving.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, there will be stepped-up enforcement, and more cops will be assigned to catch people chatting behind the wheel.

GPS Lets Drivers Elude Red-Light Cams, DWIs

NEW YORK, NY — It’s a scofflaw’s dream – new GPS software that alerts New York City drivers to red-light cameras, speed traps and DWI checkpoints so they can steer clear of cops and traffic tickets.

“The system gives you enough time to correct any dopey thing you’re about to do,” said Brooklyn subway conductor John Carlson, 49, who bought the software from Pennsylvania-based PhantomAlert last year, and said it “absolutely” has helped him avoid tickets.

Video – MTA Reconsiders Weekend Service Cuts

NEW YORK, NY [NY1] — The MTA now says a plan to cut back weekend subway service can be avoided, if Albany lawmakers act on a plan to shore up the agency’s $1.2 billion budget gap.

Last week, the MTA said it was moving forward with plans to reduce the scheduled frequency of weekend subway service on most of the lettered lines, beginning in June.

Mayor: State is Stealing our Stimulus Package

NEW YORK, NY — Mayor Bloomberg was screaming highway robbery last night after Albany announced the city would get $1.9 billion in the first allocation of federal stimulus funds – at least $200 million less than he was counting on.

“The mayor has repeatedly said he was concerned that federal stimulus money meant for the city would get lost in Albany, and we are already seeing a clear example,” declared Stu Loeser, the mayor’s spokesman.

State Slaps Dr. Do-Good

The state is trying to shut down a New York City doctor’s ambitious plan to treat uninsured patients for around $1,000 a year.

Dr. John Muney offers his patients everything from mammograms to mole removal at his AMG Medical Group clinics, which operate in all five boroughs.

“I’m trying to help uninsured people here,” he said.

His patients agree to pay $79 a month for a year in return for unlimited office visits with a $10 co-pay.

But his plan landed him in the crosshairs of the state Insurance Department, which ordered him to drop his fixed-rate plan – which it claims is equivalent to an insurance policy.

Brooklyn Bridge Repairs to Cost Much more than Expected

BROOKLYN, NY — Major repairs to the crumbling Brooklyn Bridge, which are scheduled to begin this summer and close parts of the span for three years, will now cost up to $200 million more than originally anticipated.

Rehabbing the degrading bridge will cost up to $500 million, according to the Department of Transportation — a hike from the $300 million that the agency said it would need to fix approaches, ramps and anchorages, repaint the bridge and replace barriers and railings, the New York Post reported on Sunday.

Buried … NYC Preps for More Than 1 Foot of Snow

NEW YORK, NY — March is roaring in like a lion, with most of New York and New Jersey under a winter storm warning for heavy snow from Sunday night to Monday evening. The storm could dump more than a foot of snow on New York City.

Cop Killer Gets Life in Prison and then Some

BROOKLYN, NY — One of the men found guilty of killing a rookie cop in Brooklyn was sentenced today to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

Dexter Bostic, 36, was convicted in December of gunning down Officer Russel Timoshenko in July 2007 after he and his partner, Herman Yan, injured, pulled over a stolen BMW SUV in Crown Heights.

MTA Planning to Cut Weekend Subway Service

NEW YORK, NY — The MTA will cut weekend subway service even if it gets a state bailout, officials said Monday.

And, for the first time in six years, the number of weekday riders dropped 2% in January, suggesting job losses have begun to thin the throngs of straphangers riding the rails.

L Train Goes Fully Computerized Today

NEW YORK, NY — Robo train is finally pulling into the station next week [today].

Starting Tuesday [today], L line trains will be fully controlled by a computerized signal system, officials said Friday.

FBI Director Warns of Terror Attacks on US Cities

WASHINGTON, DC — FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III today warned that extremists “with large agendas and little money can use rudimentary weapons” to sow terror, raising the specter that recent attacks in Mumbai that killed 170 people last year could embolden terrorists seeking to attack U.S. cities.