Matthew Schuerman

Senior Editor, WNYC

Matthew Schuerman appears in the following:

Subway Station Rehab: Taking it One Piece at a Time

Monday, February 22, 2010

New York City Transit is taking a new approach to renovating subway stations. Instead of doing a complete station rehabilitation, contractors will be doing "station renewal," replacing individual components in need of repair like lighting, stairs, or signage, while leaving other parts alone.

In the 1980s ...

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Rockaway Ferry Service Ends Soon

Monday, February 22, 2010

The city's latest experiment in waterborne transportation, a publicly subsidized ferry to the Rockaways, will end within 30 days. The Bloomberg administration says too few people are riding it. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has the details.

REPORTER: The route debuted in May 2008 after the local City ...

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Subway Station Rehab: Taking it One Piece at a Time

Monday, February 22, 2010

New York City Transit is taking a new approach to renovating subway stations. Instead of doing a complete station rehabilitation, contractors will be doing "station renewal," replacing individual components in need of repair like lighting, stairs, or signage, while leaving other parts alone.

In the 1980s ...

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Developer Larry Silverstein Proposes New Plan for Ground Zero

Friday, February 19, 2010

Negotiations are resuming over when and what to build at Ground Zero.

A source familiar with the negotiations says developer Larry Silverstein wants to focus all of his money on the two smallest towers proposed for the site, and push off indefinitely the construction of the ...

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Fare Hikes Possible for NJ Transit Riders

Thursday, February 18, 2010

NJ Transit bus and rail riders could face a 30 percent fare hike as early as this May, according to union leaders.

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NJ Transit Riders May Face Fare Hike Soon

Thursday, February 18, 2010

New Jersey Transit bus and rail riders could face a 30 percent fare hike as early as this May, according to union leaders.

The executive director of NJ Transit, James Weinstein, won't give a specific number, but says the hike will be significant.

"I'm not going to ...

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New York to Receive $83M in Stimulus Funds for New Rail Station

Tuesday, February 16, 2010


One possible design for the entrances to Moynihan Station Courtesy of Regional Plan Association.

The long-delayed plan to construct a new rail gateway at New York's main post office is set to receive $83 million in federal stimulus funds.

The federal stimulus funds ...

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How Long 'Til the Next Train? Pilot Project Lets Some A and C Riders Know

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

New York City Transit says it may have found a faster and cheaper way to let you know how long it'll take for the next train to arrive. It quietly started a pilot project last week in six upper Manhattan stations on the A and ...

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State Senator Seeks to Reform Use of Eminent Domain

Friday, February 12, 2010

State Sen. Bill Perkins is trying to restrict the state's powers to take private property. The Upper Manhattan Democrat says the current law allows government to take advantage of small property owners.

Current law says blight is anything that's "substandard," "insanitary," or "deteriorating." But that leaves ...

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Proposed Changes in Payroll Tax Aimed to Help MTA

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Governor Paterson says New York City employers have to come to the MTA's rescue once again. He wants to increase the payroll tax imposed last year, but not for everyone. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has more.

REPORTER: The new payroll tax was supposed to provide a more ...

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New Payroll Tax Proposed: More in the City, Less in the Burbs

Monday, February 08, 2010

Governor David Paterson wants to increase the payroll tax on city employers to help balance the MTA's budget.

Beginning last year, businesses and nonprofits in the 12-county region served by the MTA had to pay the state 0.34 percent of the amount they spend on wages ...

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Inspector Says MTA Doctored Contractor Ratings

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

The official watchdog of the MTA says the authority has been inflating grades for its contractors.

In the MTA’s evaluation system, 95 percent of its contractors got “satisfactory” ratings. They got “marginal” or “unsatisfactory” grades only 5 percent of the time. In follow-up interviews, Inspector ...

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Contract Approved for Central Element of 9/11 Memorial

Wednesday, February 03, 2010


Renderings of the memorial railings (courtesy of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum Foundation)

A central element of the September 11 Memorial at Ground Zero moved forward today. The Port Authority approved an $11.7 million contract for the parapets and bronze railings that ...

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Even After Cuts, MTA Again Faces Budget Shortfall

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

A bad financial situation just got worse for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Spokesman Jeremy Soffin says even after enacting service cuts this summer, the MTA will come up $400 million short in this year's budget. That's because a new payroll tax that was supposed to help ...

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Amid Budget Austerity, MTA Battles Costly Lawsuit by Former Contractor

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

The MTA is waging a costly legal battle against former contractor Lockheed Martin, which was hired to provide an anti-terror system. A spokesman says the authority has spent or authorized $3.6 million on the case so far and it is still a year or two ...

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An Audio Postcard from Beneath the East Side

Sunday, January 31, 2010

The MTA’s budget is in bad shape these days, but officials say they are serious about completing their big capital projects. In order to prove their point, this week they took reporters on a tour of the East Side Access Project, a set of tunnels ...

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Arbitrators Rule Against Trade Center Developer

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

An arbitration panel has rejected developer's Larry Silverstein's claims that the Port Authority owed him money for delays at Ground Zero.

Silverstein says the delays were endangering his ability to finish the three office towers he's obligated to build. He wanted monetary damages and a new ...

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High Winds Scatter Debris from Beekman Tower

Monday, January 25, 2010

A 15-block area near City Hall Park remains closed to pedestrians, and traffic, after high winds scattered debris from a nearby construction site.

The source of debris was a 77-story tower under construction on Spruce Street. It was designed by Frank Gehry and is owned by ...

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MTA Revises List of Service Cuts

Sunday, January 24, 2010

MTA officials have come up with a revised list of service cuts to balance the authority's budget. The changes will have different winners and losers than the first round of proposed cuts, but officials say overall, they've minimized the impact. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has more.

REPORTER: ...

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The MTA's New Winners and Losers

Friday, January 22, 2010

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The MTA put up on its Web site a revised list of service changes that's more targeted than the list it put out last month (which was itself ...

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