New York City just got owned...sell your bike on eBay

[K A I N]

More than 7 million commuters affected

NEW YORK (CNN) -- More than 30,000 New York City transit workers went on strike early Tuesday, shutting down the nation's largest public transportation system just days ahead of Christmas, a union official told CNN.

"Transit workers are tired of being underappreciated and disrespected," said TWU President Roger Toussaint. "The Local 100 executive board has voted overwhelmingly to extend strike action to all MTA properties immediately."

According to Ainsley Stewart, a Transit Workers Union vice president, the walkout was called after the executive board for the TWU rejected an offer made late Monday by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The vote was 28 to 10 with five abstentions, Stewart said.

With the announcement, members of the Transit Workers Union (TWU) began shutting down the city's trains, buses and subways, affecting more than 7 million people who use the system on a typical day.

"As always, Local 100 members will meet our responsibility for the safety of our riders, for the safety of all transit workers, and for the safe maintenance of the equipment we will use when we get a fair contract and return to work," a statement on Web site for TWU Local 100 said.

"Local 100 members shall make sure that the subways are buses are shut down safely and efficiently at the beginning of the strike. Local 100 members shall then make sure that the system stays shut down for the duration of the strike."

City officials have said a transit strike could cost the city as much as $400 million a day.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Tom Kelly said the last offer was rejected by the union but said the MTA was "still willing to talk."

A partial strike began Monday -- more than 700 workers at a pair of private New York bus lines walked out, impacting some 50,000 commuters in Queens.

Hours before the strike, Toussaint said transit workers were prepared to lower their wage increase demands to below 6 percent if the MTA agreed to reduce the number of disciplinary actions launched against transit workers and grant other concessions.

The workers had been asking for an 8 percent annual wage increase.

Toussaint also chastised New York Gov. George Pataki for threatening transit workers on television.

Pataki has pointed out that state law forbids strikes by public employees and that a transit walkout would be illegal.

"We do not appreciate being threatened on public television nonetheless and in front of our children, " Toussaint said. "Even if the governor needs this to appear to be tough to the nation for his own political ambitions, it's inappropriate."

Toussaint called on Pataki and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to play a constructive role in the negotiations and restore state and city funds to the mass transit budget.

"If Gov. Pataki wants to play a constructive role he should get involved in these negotiations, and he should restore money to mass transit because ... the state government has taken out funds from mass transit ... (state funding) has gone down from 20 percent 10 to 15 years ago, to zero for capital funding," Toussaint said.

There were also signs that TWU workers will get the support of union leaders for Metro-North railroad, the second-largest commuter railroad in the country which shuttles some 250,000 commuters in and out of Manhattan every day.

The leaders of the TCU System Board No. 86 signaled their solidarity with workers on the MTA system but stopped short of threatening to strike in concert with them.

Russell Oathout, general chairman of No. 86, complained that his members also have been unsuccessful in negotiating a contract for its members for three years.

"A similar situation is in store for the MTA's Metro-North property if a fair agreement is not reached," Oathout warned in a news conference.

Union leaders and the MTA negotiated Sunday but those talks did not produce any agreement with key issues such as health benefits, pensions and wages remaining on the table.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/12/20/nyc.transit/

[51 cent]

Check out the pics on NYT.com - crazy stuff

[Sikotic™]

That's why I depend on myself to drive my car.

[K A I N]

That's why I depend on myself to drive my car.

People in the megapolis don't have a choice. Most don't have cars and drivers license.

lol we got 2-4 cars per family in the West 

[Sikotic™]

That's why I depend on myself to drive my car.

People in the megapolis don't have a choice. Most don't have cars and drivers license.

lol we got 2-4 cars per family in the West 

Bullshit. They're lazy muthafuckas 

[K A I N]

That's why I depend on myself to drive my car.

People in the megapolis don't have a choice. Most don't have cars and drivers license.

lol we got 2-4 cars per family in the West 

Bullshit. They're lazy muthafuckas 

Word is born Wiki speaks the truth. And don't forget about parking that shit is expensive too 


Transportation

    Main article: Transportation in New York City

Unlike most of America's car-oriented urban areas, public transportation is the common mode of travel for the majority of New York City residents. As of 2001, 50% of New York City households and only 20% of Manhattan households had access to a vehicle, as compared to more than 90% nationwide.

The city is served by an extensive network of parkways and expressways, including four primary Interstate Highways enter the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area: I-78, I-80, I-87 and I-95 (which is also the New Jersey Turnpike in this area). Interstate 287 serves as a partial beltway around the city, and there are numerous three-digit Interstates of I-78 and I-95.


Mass transit

    Main article: Mass transit in New York City

New York City boasts the most extensive network of public transportation in the United States. The world-famous New York City Subway is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It is the most extensive subway system in the world when measured by mileage of track (656 miles of mainline track), and the fifth largest when measured by annual ridership (1.4 billion passenger trips in 2004). The subway system connects all boroughs except Staten Island, which is served by the Staten Island Railway via the free Staten Island Ferry (which connects to the 1 subway line). The city is also served by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's PATH subway system, which connects the borough of Manhattan to New Jersey. In addition to these, city residents rely on hundreds of bus lines, both publicly and privately operated (many to be taken over by the MTA sometime in 2005), which serve nearly all areas of the five boroughs. Because of the extensive mass transit system, many New Yorkers do not possess cars or even driver's licenses.

Responsibility for providing public transportation falls to a variety of government agencies and private corporations. Amtrak provides long-distance rail service. Short-distance rail, primarily for commuters from the suburbs, is operated by New Jersey Transit, the MTA (serving Long Island, Connecticut and regions in New York north of the city as the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also operates regional bus terminals.

Airports

The Port Authority also owns and operates the four major airports in the New York City area, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Jamaica, Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, La Guardia Airport in Flushing, and Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey. JFK tends to handle international traffic, whereas La Guardia tends to handle shorter domestic flights, and Newark handles both international and domestic; Teterboro is New York's primary general aviation airport, handling heavy business jet traffic together with cargo and medevac flights and some light plane traffic. The first airport in the city was Floyd Bennett Field, now closed as an airport and today part of Gateway National Recreation Area. The Port Authority also operates the AirTrain service, a train which connects the JFK and Newark airports to local subway and heavy rail systems.

Taxis

Taxicabs are operated by private companies and licensed by the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission. There are two officially recognized car services in the city. "Medallion taxis," the familiar yellow cabs, are legally permitted to pick up passengers hailing them on the street. The T&LC also regulates and licenses livery cars, known locally as "car services", which are legally permitted to pick up only those customers who have called the car service's dispatcher and requested a car, although most of these pick up hailing passengers as well. Car services that are independently owned, and will solicit passengers on the street, are known in New York City lingo as "Gypsy Cabs". They are often found in areas not routinely visited by regular cabs, such as northern Manhattan.

Ferries

Many private ferries are run by NY Waterway, which provides several lines across the Hudson River, New York Water Taxi, with lines connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan, and other operators. There is also the free Staten Island Ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island, operated by the New York City Department of Transportation.

[eKardz]

you dont know how bad this sucks.  i was hopin this shit was going to be resolved, i was gonna go to the city today but thats just gonna fuck up my shit.  oh well.

[Kill]

That's why I depend on myself to drive my car.

People in the megapolis don't have a choice. Most don't have cars and drivers license.

lol we got 2-4 cars per family in the West 

Bullshit. They're lazy muthafuckas 

Never been to NY, only LA, but I know it´s a completely different system. In LA you´re screwed with no car, in NY it´s probably a hassle to drive around with one in many areas

[Da WCC Hopar!]

That's why I depend on myself to drive my car.

People in the megapolis don't have a choice. Most don't have cars and drivers license.

lol we got 2-4 cars per family in the West 

Bullshit. They're lazy muthafuckas 

Never been to NY, only LA, but I know it´s a completely different system. In LA you´re screwed with no car, in NY it´s probably a hassle to drive around with one in many areas

your very right i live in LA and been to NY and its exactly like that but only is u live in the City in New York

[Kill]

That's why I depend on myself to drive my car.

People in the megapolis don't have a choice. Most don't have cars and drivers license.

lol we got 2-4 cars per family in the West 

Bullshit. They're lazy muthafuckas 

Never been to NY, only LA, but I know it´s a completely different system. In LA you´re screwed with no car, in NY it´s probably a hassle to drive around with one in many areas

your very right i live in LA and been to NY and its exactly like that but only is u live in the City in New York

yeah, I´m not talking about the burbs. Just wanted to make a point as to why many New Yorkers prolly don´t have a car

[Sikotic™]

Let me rephrase. Lazy, cheap muthafuckas.

[white Boy]

new york what?

[Kill]

Let me rephrase. Lazy, cheap muthafuckas.

did you have any traumatizing experience involving New York(ers)?

[J Bananas]

[Sikotic™]

Let me rephrase. Lazy, cheap muthafuckas.

did you have any traumatizing experience involving New York(ers)?

Yeah. They killed Pac.

WESSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!