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Service upgrade coming to On The Way: An hour-long radio show on all things NYC transit
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Nov 6, 2026 at 11:13 a.m. ET
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By
Stephen Nessen
Published Nov 6, 2026 at 11:13 a.m. ET
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This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation.
Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday.
For three years, this newsletter and weekly radio segment on All Things Considered have dug into the nitty gritty of the subways and streets.
Now, much like an old A train getting upgraded to a sleek R211, we’re improving service for our audience. On The Way is launching an hour-long pop-up radio show on Thursdays. Starting next week, on Nov. 12, tune into WNYC 93.9 FM from 1 to 2 p.m., listen on the WNYC app, or check out our YouTube channel for the show hosted by me, Stephen Nessen. I’ll be speaking with my fellow transportation reporter Ramsey Khalifeh and editor Clayton Guse, bringing you analysis of the latest transportation news.
We’ll have special guests, including decision makers and the sharpest thinkers in the transit world. We’ll take your calls and welcome questions about your daily commutes, as well as your hopes and dreams for mass transit. Write me at [email protected].
It’s going to be a gas — consider this your invitation.
As we do in this newsletter each week, we’ll discuss the most important transportation topics of our time, from the redevelopment of Penn Station and the antiquated elements of the subway system, to the new projects like the Interborough Express and Penn Access. We’ll look at the ongoing issues in the transit system like fare evasion, subway signals, and the future of the taxi industry.
We’ll also look at the subway bottlenecks that slow your commutes, and share tips on how to legally avoid paying for the AirTrain, or navigate Exit 31 on the BQE without pulling your hair out.
Speaking of the BQE, you can bet we’ll get into that too.
The Curious Commuter segment will continue, so please keep the questions coming!
As always, we welcome your thoughts on our coverage on the web, on the air and in your inbox. Talk to you on the airwaves.
NYC transportation news this week
Bus and bike lanes galore to come. Advocates say that a ballot measure that passed on election night will reform the process for the construction of bus and bike lanes and means more street safety projects throughout the five boroughs. The measure will amend the city charter to “simplify the review of street safety projects to reduce construction timelines,” according to the text of the ballot question.
“This really just defangs some of the opponents who have sought to slow down and stop these street safety projects,” said Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office estimated construction timelines on major bus and bike lane projects could be reduced by at least 33%. But the measure still requires the city to solicit input from community boards before moving forward with any street redesign.
SoHo basketball court set to leave MTA construction purgatory. The refreshed Grand Canal Court at Sixth Avenue, set to open at the end of November, will feature new benches, a water fountain, upgraded lighting and fencing. The courts were originally ripped up in 2022 so workers could build a new substation that provides electricity to trains.
Scary good ridership for the MTA over Halloweekend. On Halloween Saturday, 3.27 million riders got on the subway, the most on a Saturday since 2016. And during the New York City Marathon, the subway saw its highest Sunday ridership on record.
NYPD seizes e-bikes along a clogged East Village street. Eleven e-bikes parked along East 11th Street and First Avenue were confiscated by police last week. Neighboring business owners and residents have been complaining for months about idle delivery bikes clogging sidewalks and curbs, sometimes by the hundreds.
Watchdog says MTA should eliminate some jobs to prepare for budget woes. The budget watchdog Citizens Budget Commission recommends the MTA should make sweeping cuts to positions that it argues technology has made obsolete as the agency could be looking at a nearly $900 million funding shortfall as spending outpaces fare revenue.
Curious Commuter
Have a question for us? Use this form to submit yours and we may answer it in a future newsletter!
Question from Charles in Brooklyn
Charles from Brooklyn asks: Why on earth did the MTA eliminate over half of the seats on the new D trains?! We have long commutes and need those seats!
Answer
The MTA has been slowly replacing some of the oldest subway cars (in lines like the A, C and now D) with new R211 trains. They’re noticeably different from the trains of yore with “conversational” yellow-and-orange seats. The newer subway cars have wider doors to allow for more people to easily get on and off the trains. And yes, there are notably less seats. More standing room means more space for people in a single subway car than previous models with more seats. While riders with longer commutes have a lower chance of snagging a seat on one of these new train cars, the modern equipment is less likely to break down, meaning better service all around.
Join us for a conversation with MTA Chair Janno Lieber
Lieber joins WNYC’s “On The Way” at The Greene Space on Nov. 17 for an in-depth conversation on the country’s largest mass transit system. Lieber is the 14th person to run the transit agency, but only the fourth person to hold the job for more than five years. He joins WNYC Transportation and Infrastructure Editor Clayton Guse in The Greene Space to discuss what the transit agency means to New York and the future of the transportation networks used by millions of people every day. “On The Way” subscribers can use promo code “OTW” for 20% off tickets. Information and tickets are available here.
Tagged
On The Way
new york city
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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