MTA Considers Cashless Tolls

NEW YORK, NY [NY1] — The MTA is reportedly moving ahead with one of the technologies that was originally proposed as part of the mayor’s congestion pricing plan.

According to the New York Post, the agency is looking into putting cashless tolls on its bridges and tunnels.

City Council Seeks Grace Period for Parking Violations

NEW YORK, NY — Several City Council members announced on Sunday that a bill had been introduced that would create a five-minute grace period before drivers are issued summonses for parking violations like expired meters and alternate-side parking rules.

The bill addresses a longstanding pet peeve among many city lawmakers, whose constituents often complain of feeling victimized by unforgiving traffic agents.

Shabbos Storm To Dump Heavy Snow On Tri-State

NEW YORK, NY [CBS] — A low pressure front is moving into the area from across the Plains on Friday that is expected to impact New York City and the surrounding Tri-state area on Saturday. The strong system will move closer to our area overnight, and precipitation will gradually work its way in through the late morning and early afternoon hours.

Video – DEP Warns Homeowners Of Imposters

NEW YORK, NY [NY1] — The Department of Environmental Protection is warning homeowners about people posing as city employees to make money.
The imposters pretend to be workers or contractors of the DEP.

Officials say the fakes usually travel in pairs and claim they need to check the pipes or collect money for overdue water bills.

NYPD Eases up on Petty Crimes, Focuses on Major Offenses

NEW YORK, NY — Some petty crime is apparently too petty for the NYPD.

The department is breaking from its highly successful model of attacking all minor crime to focus more on major offenses and counterterrorism, The Post has learned.

Gem Bandits Dress as Chasidim in Disguise

NEW YORK, NY — In a heist straight out of Guy Ritchie’s film “Snatch,” a pair of armed robbers disguised themselves as Hasidic Jews to steal $4 million worth of jewels from a Diamond District wholesaler in broad daylight, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

Dressed in Orthodox garb of black coats and hats – and phony beards – the robbers showed fake IDs to a lobby security guard on New Year’s Eve and took the elevator to the fifth floor of 2 W. 46th St., all while under video surveillance.

NYPD: Text Message Terror Threat is a Hoax

NEW YORK, NY — A chilling terror warning spreading across the U.S. and Israel is a hoax, NYPD officials said Tuesday.

The threat, which has popped up on forwarded e-mails and blog posts across the world, warns of an attack in New York today. It says the warning originated with a Muslim cab driver who told a Jewish woman he picked up of a Jan. 7 plot.

Video – Bloomberg Kicks Off Pothole Filling Season

BROOKLYN, NY [NY1] — With winter comes snow and ice, and of course, potholes.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the department of transportation commissioner were in Brooklyn Monday to announce that the pothole-filling season is in full swing.

Video – Authorities Driving up Thruway Tolls

SCOTTSVILLE, NY — Betty Rogowski says the Thruway’s toll increase can best be described in two words, highway robbery.

NYC Mayor Heads to Israel to ‘Show his Support’

NEW YORK, NY [AP] — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is heading to Israel with police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and New York Rep. Gary Ackerman.

Spokesman Andrew Brent says the mayor “is going in order to show his support for Israel.”

Break For Mayor’s Strongholds

Two of Mayor Bloomberg’s crucial voting bases got some transit-related relief this month, just as his controversial campaign for a third term heats up.

The city agreed to change the headache-causing alternate-side parking rules for Riverdale residents, cutting the number of street-sweeping days in half. And Staten Island express-bus riders found out that a possible $2.50 fare hike will be, at most, $1.25, compliments of the mayor.

Both Riverdale and Staten Island heavily favored Bloomberg in his contentious 2005 race against Fernando Ferrer.

MTA Releases Worst-Case Plan, Says Fare Hikes A Must

NEW YORK, NY [NY1] — The MTA has said all along it needs to raise fares to close its massive budget gap and now they’re saying just how much those fares could go up.

Under the plan, riders can expect to shell out as much as $3 for a subway or bus fare, along with big increases for weekly or monthly MetroCards. There could also be major service cuts as well — a plan that’s not sitting well with many commuters.

Finest Big Faux of Force – Fleet of “Fake Police Cars”

NEW YORK, NY — The NYPD is making an unusual move to ensure no one notices a decline in the number of cops on the streets – decking out the vehicles used by traffic-enforcement agents, auxiliary police and school-safety agents so they look like regular cruisers.

The move will be phased in slowly with the special units – who have typically used cars painted dark blue – to be given the white cars that are taken out of use from the main fleet.