Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

New York City has picked its latest big public art project. And it doesn't involve setting up a water show in the East River or wrapping up Central Park in brightly colored fabric. It's going to be distributing seven million Metrocards with the word "Optimism" printed on the backs. It's cooler than it sounds:

Composed in clean, bold, sans-serif letters, it floats in a sea of white just beneath the boilerplate fine print... At first glance, the word appears simple and unassuming, a non sequitur easily overlooked amid the blur of travel in the city.

So simple and unassuming, in fact, even the people who came up with the brilliant idea "acknowledge that many subway and bus riders may never see it."More

Taxi Fares: The Good News/Bad News | Did you know cab fares are going up by 50 cents on Sunday? They are. (And the money that will be collected is going to fund the MTA, ironically.) But it seems the meters in some taxis malfunctioned on October 22, 25 and 26 and some passengers were assessed the surcharge even though it hadn't gone into effect yet. So you can get a refund! Assuming you kept your receipt, that is, which you probably didn't. So never mind! [NYDN]

Jackson Gets Denied | The MTA won't be renaming Brooklyn's Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway station after Michael Jackson. City Councilwoman Letitia James first proposed the idea a few weeks back, since the station is where Jackson filmed his "Bad" video in 1987. But the MTA has taken a pass—even though it recently sold off naming rights to another subway station to Barclays for $4 million. More

Bruce Ratner Gets His Way | The MTA approved the deal that will allow Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner to defer $100 million in payments to the state over more than two decades, instead of paying it all upfront. Critics took to the podium before today's vote to deride the deal as a "massive bailout." And, shockingly, the MTA didn't pay any attention to the last-minute counterbid that landed in its lap when the main Atlantic Yards opposition group, Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, "tried to upstage the meeting by offering $120 million for the development rights over the Vanderbilt Yard." [Brooklyn Paper]

Bailout in Brooklyn? | In 2005, Bruce Ratner agreed to pay $100 million to build his controversial Atlantic Yards on state-owned land. Under terms of a new deal that was revealed just this week (and goes to a vote tomorrow): Ratner will only have to pay the MTA $20 million upfront, and he'll get to spread out the other $80 million over the next 21 years. Critics of the deal are up in arms about the compromise, per usual, but there's some good news: Forest City Ratner, says it will cough up an extra $200,000 a year to stamp "Barclays Center" to the Atlantic Ave.-Pacific St. subway station. Small miracles! [NYDN]

MTA Chairman Sued | As if the Dale Hemmerdinger, the chairman of the MTA, didn't have enough on his plate on the moment given the state of the city's transit system, two of his half-brothers are now suing him for allegedly siphoning off $2.2 million from 555 Fifth Avenue, a building that's part of the family's real estate conglomerate. [NYDN]

Suing the City Still a Profitable Business | The MTA may be cutting back on staff and service, but there's one area where it continues to shell out big bucks: The agency reports it spends $30 to $60 million a year to settle personal injury suits and has handed out almost $1 billion over the past two decades. Despite efforts to close loopholes that make the transit system an easy target for people who have no one to blame for their injuries but themselves—such as the drunken teen who walked away with $1.4 million after he jumped onto the tracks, tried to outrun a train, and ended up losing both the race and his legs—the suits persist. Of course, if there weren't frivolous lawsuits against the city, about half of the MTA's advertising revenue would go up in smoke, so it probably all balances out in the end. [NYDN]

The End of the Metrocard | The MTA is making plans to get rid of the MetroCard. Outgoing MTA chief Elliot Sander—today is his last day on the job—says that an E-ZPass-like system will eventually be introduced, so you don't have to wait on lines or actually lift your wrist or anything. Instead, "sensors on turnstiles or near bus entrances would detect a card or key-fob-like device and automatically deduct the fare from bank or credit accounts." The system won't be in place in 2011, though, so you have plenty of time to pick up a Metrocard bikes and dresses before they become collectors' items. [NYP]

Digital Advertising On NYC Buses at Night [Public Ad Campaign]

Subway Ridership Falls, Fares May Go Up | Some more good news has emerged from the otherwise bleak economy. The MTA reports that subway ridership was down for the third consecutive month in March as the city's unemployment rate continued to rise and fewer people had to use the subway to commute to work. This means finding a seat on the 4 train during rush hour has never been easier. Unfortunately, it also means the MTA is now predicting another budget shortfall, which means the agency could be forced to raise fares again. You never can win, can you? [NYP]

It's rare to hear about an industry that's hiring these days. But today is not one of these days: The MTA is currently hiring bus drivers. It seems the agency instituted a hiring freeze when it looked like the doomsday budget cuts would go into effect. They didn't, of course, which means the MTA is now looking to fill as many as 230 positions. If you worked at Lehman Brothers or Condé Nast until recently, it's unlikely that a bus driver gig is going to  meet your salary expectations. (And judging by this and this, it can be a lot more dangerous, too.) But, hey, it's better than taking your chances with a sandwich board, no? [Urbanite]

A Rare Bit of Good News From the MTA | The big subway and bus fare increase won't be so big, after all. The board of the MTA voted today to rescind the package of fare increases and service reductions adopted in March. When fares go up, which will happen on June 28, you'll be paying $2.25 to take advantage of New York's sterling public transportation system, instead of $2.50. [NYT]

Fare Increase, Service Cuts Coming Soon | The MTA has revealed the service cuts that will take place this summer unless someone does something about the agency's $1.2 billion budget gap. Oh, and the new fare of $2.50 takes effect May 31, just in case you want to start saving your quarters now. [NYDN]

Say Hello to the $2.50 Fare | Get your extra quarters ready: The MTA board voted 12 to 1 this morning in favor of raising subway and bus fares from $2 to $2.50 per ride, even though the agency also plans to carry out a round of service cuts and shut down certain bus routes and extend the length of wait time between trains. On the bright side, if you were one of the unfortunate souls to lose your job this week, this news shouldn't faze you much, since you won't have to worry about commuting from now on. [NYDN]

A disgruntled Amtrak employee tried to recreate the magical moments in Baghdad over the weekend at today's MTA board meeting: He attempted to pull off his shoe and wing it at MTA boss Elliot Sander. The man's footwear never made it airborne—the MTA chief seems to have better security than the president—but we'll give him points for trying. [ABC7 via Curbed]