The MTA is adding more NYC subway stations to have cellphone access. We already have these station stairs and platforms with cellphone access:

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	F/M and L platforms on 14th St. and Sixth Ave.,
	1/2/3 platform at 14th St. and Seventh Ave.,
	L and A/C/E/ platforms at 14th St. and Eighth Ave., and
	C/E platform on 23rd St. and Eighth Ave.

New stations will be:

	B/D and F/M platforms at Rockefeller Center,
	1/2/3, 7, and N/Q/R platforms at Times Square.

You should be able to access your cellphone in these NYC subway stations by late July or early August 2012. After that, about 5-6 stations a month will begin to offer cellphone service.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

NYC’s MTA has just announced the winners of the best smartphone software applications for riders. The winners were chosen by the MTA.

Embark NYC — lets you plan your NYC subway trip and see subway schedules for a particular route. Includes an interactive map of the subway system. IPhone, Android.

Free NYC Subway Locator — lets use find the nearest NYC subway stop. IPhone.

The public also voted on a winner:

CityMaps– gives you real-time information about local businesses with NYC subway information about how to reach them.

8.5 million people use the NYC subway system every day.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

Last year, we told you that you could use a NYC Muni-Meter receipt at more than one NYC street parking spot. So if you purchased 3 hours and only used 2 hours, you could still use that receipt for the third hour if you needed to park somewhere else — that also had a NYC Muni-Meter.

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Sadly, that convenience may be changing. The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering changing the rules so that you can use what’s left on the Muni-Meter receipt ONLY at a meter that charges the same rates.

We’re not sure how much this is happening, but the NYC DOT doesn’t want people buying up really cheap parking and then parking in a more expensive area. You can still use a Muni-Meter receipt at multiple parking spaces if you have time on the receipt, but all the spaces have to be at the same parking rates and regulations.

If the change goes through, you could get a NYC parking ticket if you try to trick the system.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

Brought to you by Park It! NYC

Park Ave & E 33rd Street is the most dangerous intersection in all of NYC for pedestrians and bicyclists, according to Transportation Alternatives new site, crashstat.org.

Manhattan claims 8 of the top 10 intersections for NYC accidents between motor vehicles and either pedestrians or cyclists.

Of the 382 bicycle accidents with motor vehicles coming from the top 12 intersections, nearly 65% are all in Manhattan below 23rd Street.

Top 10 NYC Intersections for Pedestrian and Car Accidents

When it comes to NYC car crashes with pedestrians, from 1995 to 2009 there were just over 1000 accidents, mostly in Manhattan.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

Brought to you by Park It! NYC

You see a NYC taxi with its rooftop lights on, try to hail it, and it flies right past you. Yet a second taxi with the exact same lighting situation picks you up. WHY?

You aren’t alone in being confused. According to the NYC TLC (Taxi & Limousine Commission), NYC yellow cabs have 2 lights on the rooftop:

Medallion Number — this is in the center. If it’s ON, then the taxi is available most of the time.

Off-Duty Lights — there are two of these, with one on either side of the Medallion Number.

There are four possible combinations of these two sets of lights, and it’s confusing.

The TLC is looking at a simple one-light system. If it’s on, the taxi is available. If it’s off, the taxi is not available.

Sounds great, but that leaves passengers and taxi drivers stuck if the taxi driver has the light off and is willing to pick up a passenger who is ‘going my way’.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

Brought to you by Park It! NYC

Going to the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Here’s what you need to know about watching the parade and parking.

Parade Route

The parade starts at 9am from Central Park West and 77th Street and goes down Central Park West to Columbus Circle at 59th St. It takes a left on to Central Park South (59th St), then goes down 7th Avenue to 42nd Street. The parade then goes left on 42nd St to 6th Avenue, then down 6th Avenue to 34th Street. Once on 34th St, travels along 34th Street to Macy’s Herald Square.

Where to Park

Ulltra Car Park — 359 9th Avenue @ 30th Street. Outdoor lot. $14 enter by 10am & exit by 7pm, $22 for 10 hours to midnight, $30 for 24 hours or overnight, $10 extra for Vans & SUVs.

Central Parking — 147 W 83rd St & 157 W 83rd St, between Columbus and Amsterdam. $27 for 6 hours, $32 for 12 hours. Print the coupon here to get these rates. Oversized vehicles may have a surcharge.

QuikPark — 305 W 46th St and 328 W 56th St bet 8th & 9th Aves, W 68th & W 70th bet Freedom Place & Riverside Blvd. $30 flat rate at all locations. Oversized vehicles may have a surcharge.

Since the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is on the West side of Manhattan, your best NYC parking garage deals will be either on the East Side or way West. Most of the NYC parking garages will have an Event Rate on Thanksgiving Day ranging from $30 – $55. Look for:

Early Bird Special near 1st or 2nd Aves from 55th – 80th Sts, then walk or take a crosstown bus to Central Park West. Early Bird Specials will range from $12 – $20, and you have to be in the garage by 9 – 11am and leave usually by early evening. Check out the $14 rate below.

Flat Day Rates farther West, near 11th or 12th Aves.

Park on the Street, because NYC parking meters and Alternate Side Parking regulations are not in effect. But watch those NYC parking signs — if the sign says ‘No Stopping, No Standing, or No Parking Anytime’, then you cannot park there.

Stay Tuned! We’re Waiting for more NYC Parking Garages to Give us their Special Thanksgiving Day Rates!

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Public Viewing Areas

• Central Park West: West side of street from 70th St to Columbus Circle & east side of street from 70th to 65th
• Columbus Circle: West side of street
• 7th Ave: between 58th & 42nd Sts
• 42nd St: from 7th to 6th Aves
• 6th Ave: between 42nd & 34th Sts
• 34th St: south side of street between Broadway & 7th Ave

Watch the Balloons Getting Blown up on Wednesday Night

A long-standing tradition is the annual blowing up of the massive balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. It goes from 3am – 10pm on Wednesday, November 23rd near the American Museum of Natural History just off Central Park West between 77th St. and 81st St.

Check out the Official Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade site.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

Remember all the hullabaloo about Congestion Pricing a few years ago? It was Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to charge vehicles to enter Manhattan below 60th Street as an effort to reduce congestion from NYC traffic. It got voted down, and now it’s back.

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There will be 22 entry points where vehicles will pay the NYC Congestion Pricing Toll.

What Will the Congestion Pricing Toll Plan Be?

The Rate is Unknown at this time.

Congestion Pricing Tolls would be in effect 24/7. Peak rates from 6am – 6pm. Lower rates on weekends and overnight.

NYC Taxis don’t have to pay a toll. But passengers will pay a $1 toll per trip.

Livery Cars, aka Gypsy Cars will pay 50% of the Congestion Pricing toll. We don’t know if that fee will be charged once a day or every time the Livery Car enters the Congestion Pricing Zone, and if that charge will be passed on to passengers.

Commercial Vehicles will pay the toll once a day.

Bridge Tolls for the Whitestone, Throgs Neck, Cross Bay and Verrazano Bridges will decrease by 15%. This is supposed to halt the planned 2013 increase for MTA fares (NYC subways and buses) and bridge & tunnel tolls until 2014.

Insiders believe the new Congestion Pricing tolls could raise $1.9 billion dollars, hopefully to be used for transit improvements to NYC subways and NYC buses.

The NYC Taxi tolls for passengers will bring in approximately $180 million every year. $20 million of that amount will be put towards health care for taxi drivers.

Will It Pass?

According to both the NY Daily News and New York Observer, state lawmakers don’t believe there is enough support. On the other hand, this time around there is strong support from environmental and labor groups.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

New York City and traffic … They’re virtually synonymous! If you drive in the city, then you most likely spend a fair amount of time stuck in traffic. Sure, you could do all your driving at 3 a.m. to totally avoid getting caught in delays, or you can just do these simple things you can do to help avoid NYC traffic.

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This Guest Blog comes to us from Bernie Wagenblast, who has been involved with NYC traffic and transit for over 30 years. He was one of the original Shadow Traffic reporters in 1979 and currently is heard on weekends on 1010 WINS. Sign up for Bernie’s newsletter here.

1) Call 5-1-1- to Check the Road Conditions Before you Leave

You know about 9-1-1 and 3-1-1, but did you know there’s also a free number you can dial from your cellphone or landline to get real-time NYC traffic and transit information? The automated system, operated by the New York State Department of Transportation, lets you say the borough or roadway you want information on. Then you’ll hear alerts about any problems, such as accidents, construction and delays. Since the system takes commands by voice, you can get information while you’re en route without having to worry about hitting phone keys while driving.

Before you leave your house or office, you can also check the companion website for 5-1-1 at 511ny.org. Here you can see on a map where the problem spots are and also check on current speeds and even watch the traffic cameras to verify conditions.

A great feature lets you register trips you take often so when you call, My511NY will automatically list the traffic and transit conditions for all your trips.

5-1-1 provides information for not only New York City, but the entire State of New York as well as neighboring sections of New Jersey and Connecticut.

2) Use the MTA Website for Subway, Bus, and Train Conditions

The MTA website tells you about current and expected conditions on each of the city’s subway and bus lines as well as the Staten Island Railway, Metro-North and LIRR. The site includes a trip-planner that gives you how to get from here to there by public transportation.

3) Listen to Radio Traffic Reports

This is a resource that’s near and dear to my heart since I’ve spent quite a few years telling New Yorkers about the problems they’ll encounter as they negotiate the transportation network. The three key stations you should store in your radio are WCBS 880 AM, WINS 1010 AM and WEMP 101.9 FM. These three stations provide traffic updates 24/7. You can hear reports on WINS on the 1s, on WEMP on the 5s and WCBS on the 8s.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.