NJ Transit riders lose patience as World Cup disrupts commutes for locals at Penn Station ^24.1%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen, Giulia Heyward - 6/16/2026, 10:07 PM

Negativity Bias 23.4% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 15.5% - Framing Effect 11.3%

The World Cup left many NJ Transit commuters miffed on Tuesday as the tournament’s France-Senegal game at MetLife Stadium shut down most of the agency’s rail services at Penn Station. The event was the second of eight World Cup matches to be hosted in the Meadowlands this summer — but the first to interfere with weekday transit service.... more

Bridge over toxic Gowanus Canal reopens after 5 years of repairs ^8.5%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen - 6/15/2026, 9:32 PM

Appeal to Authority 10.1% - Optimism Bias 7.6% - Recency Bias 7.6%

The historic Carroll Street Bridge reopened Monday after a five-year repair project shut down the key connection over the Gowanus Canal. The landmarked 137-year-old crossing is one of the oldest in the city and has a unique design. It’s shaped like a trapezoid and is retractable — it can split apart to allow boats and barges to pass. The... more

NYC erupts as Knicks win Game 5, NBA championship for first time in half a century ^21.1%

Gothamist - By Caroline Lewis, Brittany Kriegstein, Stephen Nessen, Arun Venugopal, David Brand - 6/13/2026, 11:29 PM

Negativity Bias 30.1% - Biased Writer Voice 28.8% - Hasty Generalization 22.4%

New York City is rejoicing Saturday night after the New York Knicks claimed their first NBA championship since 1973 — and set off a street party like no other in the five boroughs, five decades in the making. The Knicks' 94 to 90, come-from-behind win over the San Antonio Spurs in Texas marked the culmination of a two-month playoff run... more

2 killed in Queensboro Bridge bike lane crash as riders call for more enforcement ^30.1%

Gothamist - By Charles Lane, Stephen Nessen - 5/28/2026, 5:14 PM

Negativity Bias 25.9% - Confirmation Bias 18.7% - Anecdotal 16.7%

Two men were killed Thursday in a head-on collision between an electric scooter and a bicycle on the Queensboro Bridge, according to the NYPD, raising concerns about speeding and illegal micromobility vehicles on the bridge. Police responded to a 911 call just after 8 a.m., reporting the crash in the bridge’s bike lane, authorities said.... more

LIRR strike ended with solid raises for workers, but no reforms to costly work rules ^11%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen - 5/23/2026, 12:00 PM

Framing Effect 14.8% - Optimism Bias 14.8% - Negativity Bias 14.1%

The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike ended with a deal Monday that gave workers a solid raise — but the MTA settled without reforms to notorious work rules officials had sought in exchange for the pay bump. Throughout the strike, MTA Chair Janno Lieber said he wanted the unions to give up benefits that date back to when the LIRR... more

'It's chaos': LIRR commuters face shutdown, workarounds on first weekday of strike ^15.5%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen, Ramsey Khalifeh, Catalina Gonella, Jill Webb - 5/18/2026, 9:00 AM

Negativity Bias 14.9% - Anecdotal 10% - Pessimism Bias 8.5%

Long Island Rail Road service remained suspended for Monday’s morning rush hour after the MTA and a coalition of unions for striking workers failed to reach a deal on a new contract overnight. Transit and New York state officials urged Long Island commuters to work from home if possible. The MTA is providing limited shuttle bus service... more

MTA raised alarms about Amtrak tunnel plan before this week's Penn Station meltdown ^44.4%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen - 5/16/2026, 12:01 PM

Hindsight Bias 12% - Biased Writer Voice 10.8% - Appeal to Authority 7.6%

MTA officials spent months last year warning that an Amtrak construction plan would spark service meltdowns at Penn Station. That prediction proved true Thursday after a fire in an East River train tunnel sparked widespread service disruptions that continued into Saturday morning. Amtrak owns four East River tunnels that are also used by... more

Down to the wire: LIRR slated to shut down at midnight unless MTA and unions reach a deal ^49.4%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen - 5/15/2026, 3:49 PM

Optimism Bias 13.3% - Negativity Bias 11.8% - Appeal to Authority 11.4%

The Long Island Rail Road inched perilously close to a full shutdown on Friday as five unions prepared to go on strike if they don't reach a deal with the MTA by midnight. The deadline was the culmination of months of negotiations that included several interventions by an emergency board set up by President Donald Trump. But as of Friday... more

NJ Transit plans to make train stations smell like lavender ^45.6%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen - 5/12/2026, 6:17 PM

Availability Heuristic 13.8% - Appeal to Authority 13.8% - Confirmation Bias 10.7%

The Garden State's official flower may be the blue violet, but the official smell of NJ Transit is now lavender. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri on Tuesday announced the scent as the preferred fragrance for cleaning solutions the agency plans to use in stations. It’s part of a new push by Gov. Mikie Sherrill to make quick upgrades to the... more

Historic LaGuardia Airport terminal deserted after Spirit Airlines shutdown ^30.1%

Gothamist - By Stephen Nessen, Ramsey Khalifeh - 5/5/2026, 7:33 PM

The abrupt shutdown of Spirit Airlines over the weekend has turned an entire terminal at LaGuardia Airport into a ghost town. Just last Friday, the airport’s tiny but mighty Marine Air Terminal was abuzz with Spirit Airlines passengers. The low-cost airline held the lease at all six of the gates at the landmarked terminal, which dates... more