Somers, NY
News
Westchester Resident ID'd As Man Struck, Killed By Metro-North Train Westchester Resident ID'd As Man Struck, Killed By Metro-North Train
Westchester Resident ID'd As Man Struck, Killed By Metro-North Train The identity of a man struck and killed by a Metro-North train in Westchester has been released. Surendra Bhansali, 64, of Scarsdale, was identified as the man killed by the 8:26 a.m. southbound train from Southeast that struck and killed him at approximately 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12. The MTA noted that Bhansali was not authorized to be on the tracks when he was struck. Investigators said the fatal strike “appears to be non-criminal and non-accidental in nature.”  The incident led to the suspension of train service between the Crestwood and White Plains stations for several hou…

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by Zak Failla
Somers, NY
News
Man Struck, Killed By Metro-North Train Man Struck, Killed By Metro-North Train
Man Struck, Killed By Metro-North Train A 64-year-old man was struck and killed by a Metro-North train in Westchester. The MTA reported that the 8:26 a.m. southbound train from Southeast struck a man who was unauthorized to be on the tracks at approximately 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12. The incident led to the suspension of train service between the Crestwood and White Plains stations for several hours, causing delays. Service was restored at approximately 12:30 p.m. The strike is being investigated by MTA Police, who have not released the identity of the man, pending notification of his family. According to investigators, t…

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by Zak Failla
Massapequa, NY
Lifestyle
Westbury Personal Chef, Nutritionist Will Cook Meals In Your Kitchen For Weight Loss, Health Westbury Personal Chef, Nutritionist Will Cook Meals In Your Kitchen For Weight Loss, Health
Westbury Personal Chef, Nutritionist Will Cook Meals In Your Kitchen For Weight Loss, Health Sometimes it's hard to lose weight and cook those imaginative healthy meals without taste testing and sabotaging your diet. Westbury clinical nutritionist and personal chef Andrea Massop Ramos offers a personal chef service in her practice called Healthy Friendz Nutrition. The service is also great for anyone needing to control a serious health problem like diabetes or hypertension. "I go into my client's kitchen and prepare the foods they like using natural, fresh and wholesome ingredients that take their ethnicity into account," said Ramos. In addition to personal chef, her services inc…

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by Donna Christopher
White Plains, NY
Lifestyle
Here's What's New As Playland Starts Season Here's What's New As Playland Starts Season
Here's What's New As Playland Starts Season The unofficial start of summer is here, as Rye Playland's opening weekend is now here. Playland officially opens for the season at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, with a parade featuring a marching band, local officials, staff, and Coaster the Dragon, the amusement park’s official mascot. Opening Day will feature a special $20 admission price, which will allow patrons unlimited rides. There will also be discounted prices on Sunday for Mother’s Day. This year, the annual concert series will include nearly a dozen new local musical acts, as well as a public art display. The park will …

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
News
MTA To Investigate Reports Of $400M In Employees' Overtime Pay MTA To Investigate Reports Of $400M In Employees' Overtime Pay
MTA To Investigate Reports Of $400M In Employees' Overtime Pay The MTA has launched an extensive investigation regarding “massive” overtime payments that saw its workers earn more than $400 million in overtime last year. Despite a year fraught with delayed, canceled and stalled trains, as well as the seventh fare hike in less than a decade, a new study released by Empire Center found that MTA’s overtime rose by nearly 16 percent last year. In total, the MTA shelled out $418 million in overtime more than five times what the anticipated price hike that took effect this week is expected to generate. In response, MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick F…

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by Zak Failla
Bedford, NY
News
MTA Employees' 'Massive' Overtime Pay Under Scrutiny MTA Employees' 'Massive' Overtime Pay Under Scrutiny
MTA Employees' 'Massive' Overtime Pay Under Scrutiny Overtime pay at the MTA has gone off the rails, with the agency paying its workers more than $400 million in overtime last year, including $344,000 to one Long Island Railroad employee and 25 Metro-North employees that doubled their salaries in overtime. Despite a year fraught with delayed, canceled and stalled trains, as well as the seventh fare hike in less than a decade, a new study released by Empire Center found that MTA’s overtime rose by nearly 16 percent last year. In total, the MTA shelled out $418 million in overtime more than five times what the anticipated price hike that took …

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield, CT
News
Metro-North Rate Hike Takes Effect Metro-North Rate Hike Takes Effect
Metro-North Rate Hike Takes Effect The nearly four-percent rate increase approved by MTA officials in February went into effect on Easter Sunday, April 21. Commuters who purchase a monthly ticket, now more than $460, to use the Hudson line from Poughkeepsie, New Hamburg and Beacon will see no increase either. Monthly and weekly ticket buyers will see an increase of no more than 3.85 percent and there will be no increase for weekly tickets of $147 or more. The hikes were initially expected to take effect in March, but the MTA was delayed. This marks the seventh price increase since 2008. Metro-North has also moved its mornin…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant, NY
News
Metro-North Employees Hailed As Heroes For Helping Save Commuter’s Life Metro-North Employees Hailed As Heroes For Helping Save Commuter’s Life
Metro-North Employees Hailed As Heroes For Helping Save Commuter’s Life Some fast-fast-acting MTA employees helped save the life of a passenger who stopped breathing on a Metro-North train during the heart of the rush hour commute in the Hudson Valley. Nine Metro-North Railroad employees were celebrated for “seamlessly working together to save an unresponsive customer” on board a train heading from Grand Central to Wassaic. Shortly after 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, as the doors was closing on the Dutchess County-bound train, a passenger called out for help when a fellow passenger was lying prone on the train floor, turning blue as he stopped breathing. Acc…

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
Politics
Metro-North Rail Purchase Announced One Week After Cuomo's Election? Cynics Call Timing 'Fishy' Metro-North Rail Purchase Announced One Week After Cuomo's Election? Cynics Call Timing 'Fishy'
Metro-North Rail Purchase Announced One Week After Cuomo's Election? Cynics Call Timing 'Fishy' Does anyone think the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's plan to buy Grand Central Station and two of Metro-North's commuter railroad properties a week after Election Day had bizarre timing? The MTA Board was expected to vote on the plan to buy the privately owned properties on Thursday, Nov. 15. One week after Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New Castle was elected to a third-term, the MTA proposed buying the 105-year-old Grand Central Terminal and two Metro-North railway lines for $35 million. Several of the Top-10 contributors to Cuomo's re-election campaign have ties to the MTA. In fact, fina…

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by Jon Craig
Mount Pleasant, NY
News
Two Injured As Flammable Materials In Car Explode Near Metro-North Station Two Injured As Flammable Materials In Car Explode Near Metro-North Station
Two Injured As Flammable Materials In Car Explode Near Metro-North Station Two Metro-North employees were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after flammable materials being stored in an employee’s personal, private vehicle exploded. The incident took place around 1 p.m.Friday in the parking lot of Metro-North’s North White Plains Yard, said Aaron Donovan, spokesman for the MTA.   MTA Police are investigating the cause.  There was no train involved and there is no impact to Metro-North train service.

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by Kathy Reakes
Danbury, CT
News
Metro-North Service Changes, Buses Scheduled During Danbury Branch Upgrades Metro-North Service Changes, Buses Scheduled During Danbury Branch Upgrades
Metro-North Service Changes, Buses Scheduled During Danbury Branch Upgrades Buses will be replacing trains for some Metro-North riders in Fairfield County next week. The MTA announced that beginning on Monday, Oct. 1, through Friday, Oct. 5, crews will be making safety upgrades and improvements to the Danbury Metro-North Branch. In response, buses will be substituting for select, off-peak weekday trains. Between 9 a.m. and 6:10 p.m. each day, buses will substitute for all trains departing from Danbury to South Norwalk southbound, making all scheduled stops to South Norwalk.  Buses operate up to 15 minutes earlier than normal train times and will connect with regula…

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by Zak Failla
New City, NY
News
Railroad Commuters 'Feel Like Unwanted Stepchild,' Due To Poor Service, Rockland Officials Say Railroad Commuters 'Feel Like Unwanted Stepchild,' Due To Poor Service, Rockland Officials Say
Railroad Commuters 'Feel Like Unwanted Stepchild,' Due To Poor Service, Rockland Officials Say Rockland County Executive Ed Day blasted Metro-North and New Jersey Transit officials on Wednesday for frequent cancellations and overall poor express train service "West of the Hudson." Day held a press conference on Aug. 15 at which his criticism was echoed by a state senator, assemblymen and town supervisors who detailed the plight of Rockland County's railroad commuters who Day said continue to suffer during the "crisis" at New Jersey Transit (NJT). NJT continues to cancel Rockland County's only two express trains on the Pascack Valley Line, despite Metro-North Railr…

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by Jon Craig