Matthew Schuerman

There's no bridge to nowhere or teapot museum in the economic stimulus package, but that doesn't mean that it's free of earmarks, pet projects, or favors to special interests. As part...

New York, NY —

The Senate continues to debate the federal stimulus bill in Washington today. If it passes in much the same form as it did in the House last week, the MTA stands to receive about $2 billion for capital projects. WNYC’s Matthew Schuerman looks at one ...

New York, NY —

The head of the MTA says that if he had to do the Fulton Street Transit Center all over again, he might have opted for a less expensive design.

Speaking on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show, Lee Sander defended his decision to direct half a billion dollars ...

New York, NY —

The MTA has found a way to dig itself out of the hole it has made at Broadway and Fulton Streets.

MTA CEO Lee Sander says the agency will finish the Fulton Street Transit Center, with the help of money from President Obama's economic stimulus package.

SANDER: ...

New York, NY —

Congress is racing to pass "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" by President's Day. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the bill tomorrow while Senate committees started reviewing their version today. Now pegged at $825 billion, the measure is supposed ...

New York, NY —

Stand clear of the closing doors--especially if you have a fancy new cell phone. The NYPD reports that thefts of expensive cell phones have increased sharply over the past three months. Assistant Chief James Hall says passengers who are holding their electronic gadgets out in ...

New York, NY —

As governments struggled to borrow cash for long-term infrastructure projects, the Port Authority is taking steps to make its bonds more attractive to investors. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has more.

REPORTER: In November, the government agency that operates New York's airports and Hudson River crossings couldn't find ...

New York, NY —

By now the Atlantic Yards project was supposed to be well underway, and the Brooklyn Nets were supposed to be in the middle of their first season in their new arena. But developer Bruce Ratner hasn’t broken ground or even secured the financing. Instead, he's ...

New York, NY —

The Hudson River landing apparently saved the lives of passengers and crews. But it also meant that the crash site was a continuously moving one. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman followed the plane as it floated down the Hudson.

REPORTER: It didn't take long before a fleet of ...

New York, NY —

The Yankees are asking the city to authorize another $370 million in tax-exempt bonds so the team can complete its stadium in time for opening day. A hearing yesterday on the subject got heated as officials from the Yankees and the Bloomberg administration verbally attacked ...

New York, NY —

The Yankees and the Bloomberg administration got personal today, verbally attacking a state assemblyman who's been critical of taxpayer support for the team's new stadium.

Yankees President Randy Levine said Westchester Democratic Assemblyman Richard Brodsky's opposition amounted to nothing more than grandstanding.

LEVINE: In a pathetic attempt ...

New York, NY —

The Yankees owe the city more than $11 million in back rent on their old stadium. This is according to an audit by City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

The baseball team was allowed to deduct $5 million a year in stadium planning costs, but Thompson says ...

New York, NY —

One of the biggest boosters of the planned basketball arena for the Nets says he's not worried about possible design changes to make it less expensive to build. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz says the arena at the Atlantic Yards will still resemble architect, Frank ...

New York, NY —

The Port Authority will announce today that it's voluntarily posting information about how well its airports and other facilities fare in building and fire inspections.

Because it's a state agency, the Port Authority is exempt from local building regulations. But in an effort to improve transparency, ...

New York, NY —

MTA's chief executive thinks there is a good chance that New York's legislature will approve a payroll tax to offset proposed bus and subway fare increases, and "draconian" service cuts. Lee Sander told WNYC's Brian Lehrer that lawmakers seemed "receptive" to imposing a 0.33% tax ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg says he won't use the luxury box the city will get free of charge when the new Yankee Stadium opens in April. The move comes after embarrassing e-mails surfaced showing how hard his aides lobbied for the perk. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has more.

REPORTER: ...

New York, NY —

A Long Island contractor has been charged with manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide, in the deadly crane collapse in Midtown last spring that killed seven people.

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau says crane rigger William Rapetti knowingly used old and deteriorated slings to hold up a ...

New York, NY —

When the MTA outlined possible fare hike scenarios earlier this week, the harshest proposals fell on disabled riders. The fare for Access-a-Ride vans is now $2, but it could rise sharply in June, unless the state legislature steps in. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has more.

REPORTER: While ...

New York, NY —

New York City buses may one day be equipped with partitions that would physically separate the drivers from passengers. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman reports on efforts to improve safety for bus drivers following the stabbing death of driver Edwin Thomas in Brooklyn two weeks ago.

REPORTER: Transit ...

New York, NY —

The Port Authority says it's once again negotiating with developer Larry Silverstein. This time it's to change an agreement struck two years ago. The Port Authority took on the financial responsibility of constructing the troubled Freedom Tower. In return, Silverstein gave up some of his ...