Noah Kazis

The one-way tolls on the Verrazano Bridge have been a major cause of truck traffic in New York City since they were instituted in 1986. Though numerous efforts to restore two-way tolls have failed over the last two and a half decades, technological progress may finally bring victory within reach. Congressman Jerry Nadler thinks that the MTA's moves toward cashless tolling could make two-way tolls politically feasible, and he's trying to pass the federal legislation necessary to allow them.

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"Careless driving is unacceptable." That's the message that State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh delivered today as they announced that Hayley and Diego's Law, which they sponsored and ushered through the legislature, is now in effect.

Hayley and Diego's Law takes effect today, giving law enforcement a new tool to use against dangerous drivers. With this law, district attorneys throughout New York state can bring the charge of "careless driving" against motorists who irresponsibly injure pedestrians and cyclists.

Last week's MTA fare hikes marked the latest setback in a string of bad news for New York City transit riders. But with the launch of Select Bus Service on the East Side of Manhattan this week, some advocates are looking ahead to further opportunities to enhance the city's surface transit network. The Pratt Center for Community Development just released its Transportation Equity Atlas, a set of maps detailing the critical need for more transit options, particularly in New York City's low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

The Department of Transportation will soon be using Zipcars instead of city-owned vehicles, Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced at a press conference yesterday. The initiative is intended to reduce unnecessary driving by DOT employees and could yield significant savings if expanded to the city's entire passenger vehicle fleet. Symbolically, the city is also sending a message that owning a car might not be a wise financial decision.

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To mark the first real weekday rush hour for the East Side's Select Bus Service, transit advocates took local elected officials on a bus ride down Second Avenue this morning. I caught up with Assembly Member Jonathan Bing during the trip to see what he thought of his district's new and improved bus service.

Four pedestrians have lost their lives on New York City streets since Thursday. Two of the crashes were hit-and-runs and a third killed a four-year-old child. A cyclist is also in critical condition after a man who wasn't licensed to operate the tractor trailer he was driving struck her on a Bushwick street Friday morning.

Select Bus Service is up and running along First and Second Avenues, bringing rapid bus enhancements to the second busiest bus line in New York City. Though riders will need some time to adjust to the new system, many are already praising the faster service.