From the eternal spring of releases and statements sent forth by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s public relations fountain flows this bit of news: the senator has met with the man nominated to head the Federal Highway Administration and she has asked him what he will do for New York.

It’s not like the nominee, Thomas J. Madison Jr., needs to be educated Read more of this entry »

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is talking about whether to raise subway fairs right this moment. You can check it out by going to www.mta.info and clicking on “Live Webcast: MTA Public Meetings” in the “Features” box. Or clickhere.

Drivers who use the Thruway now can receive up-to-the-minute traffic conditions on the state Thruway Authority’s Web site.

Regional advisory messages, similar to those broadcast on the authority’s Highway Advisory Radio stations, have been added to the online map. The messages are available in both text and audio format. Read more of this entry »

Bus and subway riders can buy their MetroCards in the full-service MetroCard van as it makes its rounds in Westchester throughout the summer and into the fall.

The cards are good for Westchester’s Bee-Line buses and New York City’s buses and subways.

On the van, you can take care of Read more of this entry »

Howard Permut, the new president of Metro-North Railroad, said his first day on the job went pretty smoothly. No surprises, nothing out of the ordinary.

Of course, the Ossining resident has been an administrator with the railroad Read more of this entry »

Jiffy Lube is offering a promotion aimed at helping customers drive farther on less gas. Starting Friday, when a customer pays for the Jiffy Lube Signature Service Oil Change at participating service centers, a technician will give a Fuel Efficiency Review.

The Houston-based company boasts that the tips can save Read more of this entry »

With Howard Permut all the best. This is the Ossining resident’s first official day as president of Metro-North Railroad.

Permut, who was the railroad’s senior vice president, takes over for Read more of this entry »

I can’t help offering one last thought on the Thru-Way Diner in New Rochelle. I’ve passed it a couple of times since it closed Sunday, and the site of the building gone dark — the building that for so long was lit round the clock — strikes a melancholy chord.

About as long as the Thruway has cut through New Rochelle, the Thru-Way Diner Read more of this entry »

Transport of Rockland (TOR) 93 will be detoured while Viola Road is closed between Route 202 and Spook Rock Road in Ramapo.

United Water of New York is replacing water pipes beneath the road in that area.

During the closure of Viola Road, TOR 93 will travel on Route 202 past Viola Road, and then turn onto Grandview Avenue to connect with Spook Rock Road. Bus passengers will not be picked up on Viola Road during construction.

The normal bus route will be followed again as soon as the construction project allows.

A county public transportation official said the detour could be in place for a few weeks.

Kaser Bus Service, which provides weekday commuter bus service between Kaser, a predominately Hasidic village in Ramapo, and Sullivan County, plans to raise it fares on Aug. 1 to keep up with rising gas prices.

The cost for a book of 40 tickets, which are good for a month, will rise 25 percent, from $120 to $150, the county Department of Public Transportation said.

The bus company had wanted to increase the price by 50 percent.

The cost of a book of 40 tickets, which are good for a year, will increase 20 percent, from $300 to $360.

The bus service provides four daily trips from Kaser to Kiamesha Lake in the Catskills, and four returns trips throughout the day.

For more information, call the company at 845-352-0087.

Here’s what will be happening on the Tappan Zee Bridge next week.

Scheduled repairs:

• Monday: Right lane Rockland-bound closed for bridge maintenance from milepost 13.1 to 16.1 between 9:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

• Tuesday: Right lane Rockland-bound closed for bridge maintenance from milepost 13.1 to 16.1 between 9:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

• Wednesday: Right lane Westchester-bound closed for bridge maintenance from milepost 16.1 to 13.1 between 9:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

• Thursday: Right lane Westchester-bound closed for bridge maintenance from milepost 16.1 to 13.1 between 9:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

• Friday: Right lane Westchester-bound closed for bridge maintenance from milepost 16.1 to 13.1 between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Transport of Rockland has altered one of its bus routes in Stony Point while a major Route 9W bridge is closed to heavy vehicles.

Vehicles weighing more than 20,000 pounds are banned from the the James A. Farley Memorial Bridge while it undergoes an in-depth inspection following the discovery of corrosion on the span.

TOR 94 will start and end at the Stony Point park and ride lot, located on the eastside of Route 9W just north of Washburns Lane.

TOR 94 usually travels further north, to and from Tomkins Cove, six times each weekday. It will no longer stop at Main Street either. Read more of this entry »

The James A. Farley Memorial Bridge on Route 9W in Stony Point will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for inspections and repairs, the state Department of Transportation confirmed today.

A detour will be provided for local traffic.

The DOT late last month issued a red flag, the most severe, for the bridge after corrosion was discovered on its steel superstructure. A red flag means a problem is critical and requires immediate attention.

Trucks weighing more than 20,000 pounds have been banned from crossing the bridge, which sits 95 feet above Cedar Pond Brook.
For more about the Farley bridge and its local impact, read my story in today’s paper by clicking here.

Here’s the latest from the Thruway Authority on the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge deck:

ALBANY, NY (06/30/2008; 0923)(readMedia)—The New York State Thruway Authority announced today that deck replacement work on the Tappan Zee Bridge will continue next week. This project is Read more of this entry »

Peter Cannito, the outgoing president ofMetro-North Railroad, is this year’s winner of the W. Graham Claytor Award for Distinguished Service to Passenger Transportation.

The award given, annually by Railway Age mgazine, is named Read more of this entry »