https://feeds.blubrry.com/feeds/secondavesagas.xml http://secondavenuesagas.com http://secondavenuesagas.com The official podcast of Second Ave Sagas with Benjamin Kabak episodic Second Ave. Sagas The official podcast of Second Ave Sagas with Benjamin Kabak podcast en-us Copyright 2026 Second Avenue Sagas Podcast Copyright 2026 Second Avenue Sagas Podcast Second Ave. Sagas http://secondavenuesagas.com https://assets.blubrry.com/coverart/orig/574864-335116.jpg The official podcast of Second Ave Sagas with Benjamin Kabak Blubrry Podcasting: https://www.blubrry.com/ false http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 922375c2-2321-5a62-8448-4d4a86465a1e Thu, 24 Sep 2020 20:38:10 -0400 Thu, 24 Sep 2020 20:38:10 -0400 12 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/67975806/episode-12-the-second-ave-subway-with-philip-plotch/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/67975806/episode-12-the-second-ave-subway-with-philip-plotch/ Second Ave. Sagas Thu, 24 Sep 2020 20:38:10 -0400 In mid-March, Phil Plotch published a new book called The Last Subway: The Long Wait for the Next Train in New York City. The former transit planner-turned-political science professor has penned the definitive book on the history of the Second Ave. Subway and its trials and travails. He joins me on to discuss the tortured saga behind the new subway, the Gov. Cuomo-inspired rush to completion and if the three-stop extension that made up Phase 1 of the project will really be New York City's last subway.

]]> In mid-March, Phil Plotch published a new book called The Last Subway: The Long Wait for the Next Train in New York City. The former transit planner-turned-political science professor has penned the definitive book on the history of the Second Ave. Subway and its trials and travails. He joins me on to discuss the tortured saga behind the new subway, the Gov. Cuomo-inspired rush to completion and if the three-stop extension that made up Phase 1 of the project will really be New York City's last subway.

]]> 0:41:15 false Second Ave. Sagas In mid-March, Phil Plotch published a new book called The Last Subway: The Long Wait for the Next Train in New York City. The former transit planner-turned-political science professor has penned the definitive book on the history of the Second Ave. In mid-March, Phil Plotch published a new book called The Last Subway: The Long Wait for the Next Train in New York City. The former transit planner-turned-political science professor has penned the definitive book on the history of the Second Ave. Subway and its trials and travails. He joins me on to discuss the tortured saga behind the new subway, the Gov. Cuomo-inspired rush to completion and if the three-stop extension that made up Phase 1 of the project will really be New York City's last subway. 1 12 1 11 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/57465199/episode-11-mtas-covid-19-financial-crisis-with-nicole-gelinas/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/57465199/episode-11-mtas-covid-19-financial-crisis-with-nicole-gelinas/ Second Ave. Sagas Wed, 18 Mar 2020 16:19:33 -0400 Over the past week, subway ridership has dropped by 60%, and the MTA is suddenly staring into the abyss of a multi-billion-dollar hole in a budget as the COVID-19 public health crisis has put New York City on near-lockdown. As trains and buses keep running to ensure healthcare providers can reach their patients and the city girds for a prolonged quarantine, the MTA has asked the federal government for a $4 billion bailout. The fate of the MTA's fiscal health, let alone the $51 billion capital plan, is in limbo, and the Manhattan Institute's Nicole Gelinas, an expert in the field of MTA finances, joins me to discuss what it all means. Could the MTA default on its debt payments? Are steep fare hikes in our future? And what does it mean when a usually-steady municipal bond starts to falter?

]]> Over the past week, subway ridership has dropped by 60%, and the MTA is suddenly staring into the abyss of a multi-billion-dollar hole in a budget as the COVID-19 public health crisis has put New York City on near-lockdown. As trains and buses keep running to ensure healthcare providers can reach their patients and the city girds for a prolonged quarantine, the MTA has asked the federal government for a $4 billion bailout. The fate of the MTA's fiscal health, let alone the $51 billion capital plan, is in limbo, and the Manhattan Institute's Nicole Gelinas, an expert in the field of MTA finances, joins me to discuss what it all means. Could the MTA default on its debt payments? Are steep fare hikes in our future? And what does it mean when a usually-steady municipal bond starts to falter?

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas Over the past week, subway ridership has dropped by 60%, and the MTA is suddenly staring into the abyss of a multi-billion-dollar hole in a budget as the COVID-19 public health crisis has put New York City on near-lockdown. Over the past week, subway ridership has dropped by 60%, and the MTA is suddenly staring into the abyss of a multi-billion-dollar hole in a budget as the COVID-19 public health crisis has put New York City on near-lockdown. As trains and buses keep running to ensure healthcare providers can reach their patients and the city girds for a prolonged quarantine, the MTA has asked the federal government for a $4 billion bailout. The fate of the MTA's fiscal health, let alone the $51 billion capital plan, is in limbo, and the Manhattan Institute's Nicole Gelinas, an expert in the field of MTA finances, joins me to discuss what it all means. Could the MTA default on its debt payments? Are steep fare hikes in our future? And what does it mean when a usually-steady municipal bond starts to falter? 1 11 1 10 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/57209676/episode-10-transit-news-with-jose-martinez/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/57209676/episode-10-transit-news-with-jose-martinez/ Second Ave. Sagas Wed, 11 Mar 2020 23:40:54 -0400 It's been a busy few weeks in NYC transit as coronavirus has descended upon the city amidst the fallout from Andy Byford's departure and the ongoing MTA Transformation effort. Jose Martinez, a long-time veteran of the transit beat and current senior report for THE CITY, joins me for the Season 2 premiere to make sense of the madness of all of the recent news.

]]> It's been a busy few weeks in NYC transit as coronavirus has descended upon the city amidst the fallout from Andy Byford's departure and the ongoing MTA Transformation effort. Jose Martinez, a long-time veteran of the transit beat and current senior report for THE CITY, joins me for the Season 2 premiere to make sense of the madness of all of the recent news.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas It's been a busy few weeks in NYC transit as coronavirus has descended upon the city amidst the fallout from Andy Byford's departure and the ongoing MTA Transformation effort. Jose Martinez, a long-time veteran of the transit beat and current senior re... It's been a busy few weeks in NYC transit as coronavirus has descended upon the city amidst the fallout from Andy Byford's departure and the ongoing MTA Transformation effort. Jose Martinez, a long-time veteran of the transit beat and current senior report for THE CITY, joins me for the Season 2 premiere to make sense of the madness of all of the recent news. 1 10 1 9 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/53508978/episode-9-kickmap-with-eddie-jabbour/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/53508978/episode-9-kickmap-with-eddie-jabbour/ Second Ave. Sagas Thu, 26 Dec 2019 05:00:00 -0500 Subway maps land in the hot seat in this episode as Eddie Jabbour, the creator the Kickmap, joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on all things design. Jabbour and I discuss the elements of subway map design, what the MTA's current map gets right and what it gets wrong, which international city is the Holy Grail for designers looking to improve underground wayfinding, and of course, the Kickmap itself, his popular dynamic subway map.

]]> Subway maps land in the hot seat in this episode as Eddie Jabbour, the creator the Kickmap, joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on all things design. Jabbour and I discuss the elements of subway map design, what the MTA's current map gets right and what it gets wrong, which international city is the Holy Grail for designers looking to improve underground wayfinding, and of course, the Kickmap itself, his popular dynamic subway map.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas Subway maps land in the hot seat in this episode as Eddie Jabbour, the creator the Kickmap, joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on all things design. Jabbour and I discuss the elements of subway map design, Subway maps land in the hot seat in this episode as Eddie Jabbour, the creator the Kickmap (http://kickmap.com/), joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on all things design. Jabbour and I discuss the elements of subway map design, what the MTA's current map gets right and what it gets wrong, which international city is the Holy Grail for designers looking to improve underground wayfinding, and of course, the Kickmap itself, his popular dynamic subway map. 1 9 1 8 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/51326186/episode-8-steven-higashidebetter-buses-better-cities/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/51326186/episode-8-steven-higashidebetter-buses-better-cities/ Second Ave. Sagas Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:54:00 -0400 Buses are in the spotlight this week as Steven Higashide, TransitCenter's direct of research, joins me to talk about the 14th St. Busway, New York City's bus redesign efforts, and the lessons from his new book Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run, and Win the Fight for Effective Transit.

]]> Buses are in the spotlight this week as Steven Higashide, TransitCenter's direct of research, joins me to talk about the 14th St. Busway, New York City's bus redesign efforts, and the lessons from his new book Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run, and Win the Fight for Effective Transit.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas Buses are in the spotlight this week as Steven Higashide, TransitCenter's direct of research, joins me to talk about the 14th St. Busway, New York City's bus redesign efforts, and the lessons from his new book Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Buses are in the spotlight this week as Steven Higashide, TransitCenter's direct of research, joins me to talk about the 14th St. Busway, New York City's bus redesign efforts, and the lessons from his new book Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run, and Win the Fight for Effective Transit. 1 8 1 7 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/50584313/episode-7-sarah-feinbergmta-board/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/50584313/episode-7-sarah-feinbergmta-board/ Second Ave. Sagas Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:25:24 -0400 Sarah Feinberg, the former head of the Federal Railroad Administration and current MTA Board member, joins me to discuss her experiences in Washington and her views on what's going right and what's going wrong with the MTA. With the $51 billion capital plan and MTA reorganization on tap, we discuss if the MTA is finally on the right track.

]]> Sarah Feinberg, the former head of the Federal Railroad Administration and current MTA Board member, joins me to discuss her experiences in Washington and her views on what's going right and what's going wrong with the MTA. With the $51 billion capital plan and MTA reorganization on tap, we discuss if the MTA is finally on the right track.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas Sarah Feinberg, the former head of the Federal Railroad Administration and current MTA Board member, joins me to discuss her experiences in Washington and her views on what's going right and what's going wrong with the MTA. Sarah Feinberg, the former head of the Federal Railroad Administration and current MTA Board member, joins me to discuss her experiences in Washington and her views on what's going right and what's going wrong with the MTA. With the $51 billion capital plan and MTA reorganization on tap, we discuss if the MTA is finally on the right track. 1 7 1 6 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/48100595/episode-6-doug-gordonbrooklynspoke/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/48100595/episode-6-doug-gordonbrooklynspoke/ Second Ave. Sagas Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:45:00 -0400 Doug Gordon, the man behind @BrooklynSpoke and co-host of The War on Cars podcast, joins me to discuss how transit advocates, pedestrian safety activists and cycling proponents are all fighting the same fight against the primacy of cars in New York City transportation planning. In an age of climate change and facilitated by conversations on the Internet, these once-divergent groups have come together to fight the war on cars.

]]> Doug Gordon, the man behind @BrooklynSpoke and co-host of The War on Cars podcast, joins me to discuss how transit advocates, pedestrian safety activists and cycling proponents are all fighting the same fight against the primacy of cars in New York City transportation planning. In an age of climate change and facilitated by conversations on the Internet, these once-divergent groups have come together to fight the war on cars.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas Doug Gordon, the man behind @BrooklynSpoke and co-host of The War on Cars podcast, joins me to discuss how transit advocates, pedestrian safety activists and cycling proponents are all fighting the same fight against the primacy of cars in New York Cit... Doug Gordon, the man behind @BrooklynSpoke (http://twitter.com/brooklynspoke) and co-host of The War on Cars (https://thewaroncars.org/) podcast, joins me to discuss how transit advocates, pedestrian safety activists and cycling proponents are all fighting the same fight against the primacy of cars in New York City transportation planning. In an age of climate change and facilitated by conversations on the Internet, these once-divergent groups have come together to fight the war on cars. 1 6 1 5 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/44858124/episode-5-omny-with-mtas-al-putre/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/44858124/episode-5-omny-with-mtas-al-putre/ Second Ave. Sagas Thu, 20 Jun 2019 22:11:00 -0400 OMNY arrives with a bang, as the MTA has rolled out its open-loop tap-and-go fare payment technology that will replace the MetroCard. But what exactly does this fare payment system of the future do? And when will New Yorkers get their unlimited OMNY passes? Al Putre, the executive director of the MTA's New Fare Payment Program, joins me to talk all things OMNY.

]]> OMNY arrives with a bang, as the MTA has rolled out its open-loop tap-and-go fare payment technology that will replace the MetroCard. But what exactly does this fare payment system of the future do? And when will New Yorkers get their unlimited OMNY passes? Al Putre, the executive director of the MTA's New Fare Payment Program, joins me to talk all things OMNY.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas OMNY arrives with a bang, as the MTA has rolled out its open-loop tap-and-go fare payment technology that will replace the MetroCard. But what exactly does this fare payment system of the future do? And when will New Yorkers get their unlimited OMNY pa... OMNY arrives with a bang, as the MTA has rolled out its open-loop tap-and-go fare payment technology that will replace the MetroCard. But what exactly does this fare payment system of the future do? And when will New Yorkers get their unlimited OMNY passes? Al Putre, the executive director of the MTA's New Fare Payment Program, joins me to talk all things OMNY. 1 5 1 4 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/44012650/episode-4-rachael-faussreinvent-albany/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/44012650/episode-4-rachael-faussreinvent-albany/ Second Ave. Sagas Wed, 15 May 2019 22:52:00 -0400 Rachael Fauss, Senior Research Analyst at Reinvent Albany, discusses "Open MTA," the good governance group's call for MTA reform and accountability. Fauss discusses the report, which details how Andrew Cuomo and the state government could overhaul the way the MTA is governed and improve the reliability of transit service. New York doesn't have to reinvent the transit wheel; it just need better accountability and governance guiding it.

]]> Rachael Fauss, Senior Research Analyst at Reinvent Albany, discusses "Open MTA," the good governance group's call for MTA reform and accountability. Fauss discusses the report, which details how Andrew Cuomo and the state government could overhaul the way the MTA is governed and improve the reliability of transit service. New York doesn't have to reinvent the transit wheel; it just need better accountability and governance guiding it.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas Rachael Fauss, Senior Research Analyst at Reinvent Albany, discusses "Open MTA," the good governance group's call for MTA reform and accountability. Fauss discusses the report, which details how Andrew Cuomo and the state government could overhaul the ... Rachael Fauss, Senior Research Analyst at Reinvent Albany, discusses "Open MTA," the good governance group's call for MTA reform and accountability. Fauss discusses the report, which details how Andrew Cuomo and the state government could overhaul the way the MTA is governed and improve the reliability of transit service. New York doesn't have to reinvent the transit wheel; it just need better accountability and governance guiding it. 1 4 1 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/43498559/episode-3-aaron-gordon/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/43498559/episode-3-aaron-gordon/ Second Ave. Sagas Wed, 24 Apr 2019 00:41:00 -0400 Aaron Gordon, author of the "Signal Problems" transit newsletter, stops by to discuss the ins and outs and ups and downs of covering the MTA as he prepares to retire the gig. We talk rumors about a rift between Andy Byford and Andy Cuomo, the challenges of covering non-transparent government agencies and whether the subways are indeed getting better.

]]> Aaron Gordon, author of the "Signal Problems" transit newsletter, stops by to discuss the ins and outs and ups and downs of covering the MTA as he prepares to retire the gig. We talk rumors about a rift between Andy Byford and Andy Cuomo, the challenges of covering non-transparent government agencies and whether the subways are indeed getting better.

]]> false Second Ave. Sagas Aaron Gordon, author of the "Signal Problems" transit newsletter, stops by to discuss the ins and outs and ups and downs of covering the MTA as he prepares to retire the gig. We talk rumors about a rift between Andy Byford and Andy Cuomo, Aaron Gordon, author of the "Signal Problems" transit newsletter, stops by to discuss the ins and outs and ups and downs of covering the MTA as he prepares to retire the gig. We talk rumors about a rift between Andy Byford and Andy Cuomo, the challenges of covering non-transparent government agencies and whether the subways are indeed getting better. 1 1 2 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/43185425/episode-2-john-raskin/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/43185425/episode-2-john-raskin/ Second Ave. Sagas Tue, 09 Apr 2019 23:49:00 -0400 John Raskin, head of the Riders Alliance, discusses congestion pricing and the role his grassroots transit advocacy played in winning the 11-year fight for a traffic fee that will fund transit in New York City.

]]> John Raskin, head of the Riders Alliance, discusses congestion pricing and the role his grassroots transit advocacy played in winning the 11-year fight for a traffic fee that will fund transit in New York City.

]]> false Benjamin Kabak John Raskin, head of the Riders Alliance, discusses congestion pricing and the role his grassroots transit advocacy played in winning the 11-year fight for a traffic fee that will fund transit in New York City. John Raskin, head of the Riders Alliance, discusses congestion pricing and the role his grassroots transit advocacy played in winning the 11-year fight for a traffic fee that will fund transit in New York City. Episode 2 (John Raskin) 1 2 full 1 1 https://blubrry.com/secondavesagas/42704567/episode-1-corey-johnson/ http://www.blubrry.com/secondavesagas/42704567/episode-1-corey-johnson/ Second Ave. Sagas Thu, 21 Mar 2019 02:30:00 -0400 City Council Speaker Corey Johnson sits down as the first guest on my new podcast. We're talking about his "Let's Go" transit plan.

]]> City Council Speaker Corey Johnson sits down as the first guest on my new podcast. We're talking about his "Let's Go" transit plan.

]]> false Benjamin Kabak City Council Speaker Corey Johnson sits down as the first guest on my new podcast. We're talking about his "Let's Go" transit plan. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson sits down as the first guest on my new podcast. We're talking about his "Let's Go" transit plan. Episode 1 (Corey Johnson) 1 1 full 1