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Stefanos Chen

@stefanoschen.bsky.social
5.6K followers 572 following 401 posts

NYT reporter covering New York's transit systems. I snoop on Greek convos.

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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Covering NJT train delays is not my favorite assignment, but this photography by Andres Kudacki is so dreamy and ethereal. Slouching towards Bethlehem, via the Morristown line. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/n...
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This dude’s jacket takes me back to St Mark’s place c. 2003. So many iron-on patches, so much denim
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
NEW: After the deaths of four yellow cabdrivers -- three of whom were found in their cars -- an NYC taxi union is pushing Mayor Mamdani to revive a long sought health and benefits plan for cabbies www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/n...
nytimes.com
After Taxi Driver Deaths, Union Pushes Mamdani for Health Fund (Gift Article)
Several New York City cabbies were recently found dead in their cars. A taxi union is seeking to revive a fund that would provide medical screenings, disability insurance and other benefits.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
NJT riders, prepare for another 5 weeks of service disruptions starting Oct 11, as the agency bids farewell/good riddance to the old Portal Bridge www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/n...
nytimes.com
Portal Bridge Replacement Will Disrupt NJ Transit for 5 Weeks This Fall (Gift Article)
Commuters between New Jersey and Manhattan will have to endure a final round of service disruptions as equipment is moved to the taller, more modern Portal North Bridge.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Did not have MTA ASMR on my bingo card
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Nolan Hicks @ndhapple.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Jeez
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
they listed a bunch of replicas that sold out quickly. im sure they'll put out another batch, after the success theyve had with this run
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The Knicks street sign sold for $35k! www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/n... www.govdeals.com/en/preview-a...
nytimes.com
The Latest Sign of Knicks Fever: ‘Champions Way’ Is Headed for Auction
New York City is auctioning off a limited edition “Champions Way” street sign that was hung along the team’s parade route.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
And here's a closer look at substations, the hidden rooms that power the city's century-old subway system www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Inside the Power Stations That Keep the Subways Moving, or Bring Them to a Halt (Gift Article)
Transit officials are spending billions of dollars to upgrade New York City’s aging electrical substations, the mostly invisible backbone of the subway system.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The MTA has improved its inspection record since the incident, but there's still a ways to go. It's in the middle of a $68B capital plan to shore up the subway's aging infrastructure, including its 1930s-era power stations. Read more about what $68B you: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/n...
nytimes.com
The M.T.A. Gets $68 Billion in the State Budget. What Will Riders Get? (Gift Article)
New York State has agreed to fully fund the transit authority’s five-year capital plan. Threats from the federal government could still lead to a shortfall.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Remember the electrical explosion in '24 that stranded subway riders on hot trains and wrecked the evening commute? An audit found that the MTA missed multiple inspections at the BK substation that blew up, which was part of a pattern of missed warnings systemwide. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/n...
nytimes.com
Subway Explosion in 2024 Revealed ‘Systemwide Failures,’ Audit Finds (Gift Article)
A report from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s inspector general said the electrical explosion, in a Brooklyn substation, had uncovered serious gaps in oversight.
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Tracey Tully @traceytully.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
ICE arrests have surged in NJ since spring, after agents began fanning out under orders to detain 2,000 immigrants nationwide a day.
nytimes.com
A Mayor’s Wife Is Injured as ICE Chases Another Driver, Officials Say (Gift Article)
A driver fled after being stopped by federal immigration agents, who then pursued the individual on a New Jersey highway, the police officials said.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
From the mind that brought you "gridlock" comes a new spine chiller: a novel about killer robocars www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/n...
nytimes.com
An Expert in Traffic Jams Has a Scary Idea: What if the Cars Turn on Us? (Gift Article)
Sam Schwartz, a former New York City traffic commissioner, thinks autonomous vehicles are the future. But his book, “Autokill,” imagines a world where they go very wrong.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Front page today: Lawmakers plan to pass 17 bills to fix New York's e-bike and e-scooter regulations www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/n...
nytimes.com
After Deadly E-Bike Crashes, N.Y. Lawmakers Consider Crackdown (Gift Article)
The City Council on Tuesday presented 17 proposals to make electric bikes and scooters safer for riders and pedestrians.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
This cute @mta.info gif of the bottlenecks near Dekalb Ave is really lovely, and helpful
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
City Council today announced a long list of bills designed to reform e-bike laws, after a number of fatal crashes www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/n...
nytimes.com
After Deadly E-Bike Crashes, N.Y. Lawmakers Consider Crackdown (Gift Article)
The City Council on Tuesday is expected to present 17 proposals to make electric bikes and scooters safer for riders and pedestrians.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
The "Champions Way" Knicks street sign the city's DOT is auctioning off is now over $9,000, and still has more than a week to go www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/n...
nytimes.com
The Latest Sign of Knicks Fever: ‘Champions Way’ Is Headed for Auction
New York City is auctioning off a limited edition “Champions Way” street sign that was hung along the team’s parade route.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
This Knicks sign auction has me going down a municipal sales rabbit hole. Peep this champagne Lincoln Town Car for $1k. I can hear those seats www.govdeals.com/en/asset/31/...
govdeals.com
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Bids getting higher now. Minimum increment raised to $50 a pop, and current price, with two weeks to go, is over $4k
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
i'm fine catching strays from one of the goats
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Now with comment from Spike Lee!
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
oh baby
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Auction has been running for a half hour and the price is already up to $250 www.govdeals.com/en/preview-a...
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
New York City is auctioning off an official "Champions Way" street sign that was hung along the Knicks' ticker tape parade route in the Canyon of Heroes. Starting bid: $100. Final price: How much is Spike (or Stiller, or Chalamet) willing to pay? www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/n...
nytimes.com
The Latest Sign of Knicks Fever: ‘Champions Way’ Is Headed for Auction (Gift Article)
New York City will auction off a limited edition “Champions Way” street sign that was hung along the team’s parade route.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I’d appreciate that. Yes, fully agree that a five-year miscalculation on the timeline could suggest bad planning, but there is a universe in which this project did take 9 years and even more than what was spent, so some credit is due. Stefanos.chen@nytimes.com
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Fair point, and we raise that in the story. Finishing 5 years early can also be an indictment of their planning, though the savings suggest they made some real improvements, even if the timeline was inflated
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Right. We raise that skepticism in the story. Five years early could suggest bad planning, but they claim it was a combo of design-build benefits and prefab construction
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The M.T.A. finished this nearly billion-dollar MetroNorth project almost $200M under budget and years ahead of schedule. Can it do the same with some of its big-haul projects? www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/n...
nytimes.com
An M.T.A. Project Is Under Budget and Finished Early. No, Really. (Gift Article)
The authority has long been panned for construction overruns and delays. It hopes a Metro-North Rail Road project could change that reputation.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
This was a clever play from Mayor Mamdani - essentially a quiet pilot for a major street redesign, under the cover of the tournament. Promising results
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I have no beef with Jersey! But 75% of NJT riders to the games were coming from NYC, and there was a ton of activity in NYC tied to the games, including watch parties
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The World Cup is over, but the bean counting's just begun. Was the benefit of hosting 8 games in NY-NJ worth the price? We break down the costs, check the vibes, and lay out the issues that might grind voters' gears w/ @emmagf.bsky.social @davidwaldstein.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/n...
nytimes.com
The World Cup in New York and New Jersey, by the Numbers (Gift Article)
The World Cup brought hordes of soccer fans to town, and locals flocked to watch parties. But did the games deliver on promises of an economic boon?
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Evan Simko-Bednarski @simko-bednarski.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I went under the Newtown Creek last week to find out what's holding up the G train. My latest for @nydailynews.com
nydailynews.com
MTA says G train shutdown worth it to finally modernize Brooklyn-Queens subway line
MTA officials said they’d discovered a leak in the tunnel under the Newtown Creek — and that repairing it alongside the ongoing upgrades meant taking the trains out of service for multiple weekends.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
NEW: The private inspection company tasked with ensuring structural work at the troubled Midtown tower conversion was founded, and remains tied to, a former buildings official with a long history of scandals www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/n...
nytimes.com
Firms With Checkered Pasts Tied to Troubled Midtown Construction Project (Gift Article)
Among those connected to companies that worked on 235 East 42nd Street were a man who once bribed city officials and a developer who gave a loan to Bernard Kerik.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Subscribe to quality journalism
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
this is horrifying and fascinating and hilarious www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/t...
nytimes.com
Someone Used A.I. to Write an Unauthorized Biography of Me. I Don’t Recommend Reading It. (Gift Article)
Someone used A.I. to write my biography. Thousands more of those books are polluting Amazon. Who is behind all this drivel?
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Jose Martinez @jmartineznyc.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Long line outside of City Hall prior to today’s hearing on the future of horse carriages in Central Park.
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Award-Winning Reporter Dave Colon @davecolon.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has AFFIRMED Judge Cathy Seibel's decision to dismiss the suit against congestion pricing brought by Rockland and Orange counties
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Best thing you’ll see today
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Absolute best entrance I've ever seen
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The "free" part of Mayor Mamdani's "fast and free buses" promise hit a road block. But today, he and Gov Hochul revealed a 51-page plan to speed up NYC's bus network, one of the slowest fleets in the nation www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/n...
nytimes.com
Mamdani Promised Faster Buses. Now He Has a Road Map.
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Congestion pricing, by and large, didn't make parking any worse in the city. But one interesting tidbit from DOT in this new report: they're against residential parking permits as a fix to bad parking nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/07/06/p...
nyc.streetsblog.org
Report: Congestion Pricing Had No Impact on Parking Availability - Streetsblog New York City
A new study found congestion pricing had little-to-no impact on parking availability in New York City — both inside and outside the toll zone.
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Aallyah Wright @aallyahpatrice.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The Trump administration terminated federal grants meant to help underserved farmers access land, markets and capital. 24 farmer organizations and entities sued the USDA. A judge ruled the agency must restore $127 million back to farmers. NEW: capitalbnews.org/black-farmer...
capitalbnews.org
Black Farmers Win Court Case That Restores $127 Million in Federal Grants
The decision reinstates funding for organizations that say the USDA cuts threatened jobs and community programs.
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Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
reminder: if you like my work, please chip in! we don't have deep pockets or a magical pot of money keeping us afloat (wouldn't that be nice!) so reader donations are key if you can, give a little! 💌💌💌
donorbox.org
Spring Campaign 2026 | The City Reporter (Powered by Donorbox)
THE CITY is now The City Reporter.Our name is new, but our work isn’t changing. The City Reporter is a reader-supported newsroom that covers New York's uncovered neighborhoods, holds the powerful...
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Todd Heisler took the best photo I've seen of the FIFA Morocco win in Astoria. Pure joy www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Just a heads up that this link isn’t working
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
the reason why some money allocated for the program doesn't get spent is bc: * only about 40% of eligible ppl signed up, bc it's an annoying process with lots of paperwork * the ppl who would make the most use of transit discounts are fulltime workers and, until now, min wage workers didnt qualify
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
more like the former. the city funds the program, which includes enrolling eligible riders and paying for their half-off fare cards (in this case, OMNY)
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Stefanos Chen @stefanoschen.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
NEW: City Council is expanding transit discounts to 340,000 more New Yorkers, as part of the budget agreement. The program, Fair Fares, will now be available to 1.3 million bus, subway and paratransit riders www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/n...
nytimes.com
New York Is Set to Offer Transit Discounts to 340,000 More Riders
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frank @panndder.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
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Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
new readers: hello! I work for an independent, nonprofit, never-paywalled newsroom called The City Reporter we cover lots of important New York City news very well — and doing that costs money! we don't have giant piles of money or a deep-pocketed benefactor, so reader support is crucial 🫶
donorbox.org
Spring Campaign 2026 | The City Reporter (Powered by Donorbox)
THE CITY is now The City Reporter.Our name is new, but our work isn’t changing. The City Reporter is a reader-supported newsroom that covers New York's uncovered neighborhoods, holds the powerful...
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