NYC Approves Congestion Toll

Tolls for high-traffic areas had been mayor's pet project

(NEWSER) - New York state legislators today killed a plan that would have brought congestion pricing—higher fees at peak traffic hours—to parts of Manhattan, a major defeat for Mike Bloomberg, the Times reports. The mayor and a coalition of environmental groups backed the idea, but legislators from the city's outer boroughs and elsewhere opposed the fees, which would have been as high as $8, as regressive. More»

(NEWSER) - Police and FBI agents hunted for clues after a homemade bomb blew out windows in a Manhattan Starbucks and jolted awake residents on the Upper East Side before dawn yesterday, reports the New York Times. No one was injured in the blast caused by a makeshift bomb tucked under a street bench. Investigators were probing possible links to three other similar bomb blasts in Manhattan over the last four years. Witnesses reported seeing two teenagers running away shortly before the blast. More»

Plan calls for $8 fee to drive into Manhattan

(NEWSER) - Michael Bloomberg chose Earth Day to launch an ambitious, expensive and politically uncertain campaign to make New York City “the first environmentally sustainable 21st-century city.” The most provocative proposal: charging drivers $8 a day for entering Manhattan below 86th Street. More»

Mystery buyer snaps up One57 duplex

(NEWSER) - A mystery buyer has smashed a New York City record by shelling out more than $90 million for a duplex penthouse, reports the New York Times . The 10,923-square-foot property—with 23-foot ceilings—occupies the 89th and 90th floors of One57, a midtown residential building that is still under construction. Gary Barnett, president of Extell Development Company, has declined to reveal the exact price, but says it didn't break the $100 million barrier. More»

870K images going back to 1800s added to public database

(NEWSER) - Prepare to lose some serious time if you're fascinated by historic photos and/or New York City: The Department of Records has put 870,000 images online for the first time, some of them going back to the 1800s, reports AP . The collection is here , though heavy demand is making access spotty today. They range from crime scene photos to static shots of buildings and bridges. More»