Arun Venugopal

New York, NY —

Columbia University's controversial plan to transform 17 acres of West Harlem will go forward. The City Council gave its final approval to the rezoning request yesterday. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

The council approved the Columbia plan even as it was brokering a set of community ...

New York, NY —

With the Iowa caucuses just days away, Mayor Bloomberg is under more pressure from the media to say whether he intends to enter the presidential campaign. Once again, he says he isn't running....but he admits to wanting to influence the issues.

BLOOMBERG: I want to make ...

New York, NY —

REPORTER: A new study, from the Design Trust for Public Space, also found that passengers want to pay for a cab ride with Metrocards and credit cards. But, according to the Design Trust's Deborah Marton, it isn't just about the ride but the driver too.

MARTON: ...

New York, NY —

Members of the commission were presented with about 10 plans - either variations on the city's original proposal or complete departures, such as the idea to toll East River Bridges. Most of these would be significantly cheaper to implement and in some cases, would generate ...

New York, NY —

For elected officials from Brooklyn and Queens, the only option worse than congestion pricing would be tolls on the East River Bridges. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

There haven't been any tolls on the East River Bridges since 1911, but the idea of re-instating them has ...

New York, NY —

It's been just over a month since the death of Khiel Coppin, in Brooklyn. He's the emotionally ill 18 year old who was shot by police officers who thought he was holding a gun. It turned out to be a hairbrush. The incident drew attention ...

New York, NY —

It's been exactly one month since the death of Khiel Coppin in Brooklyn. He's the emotionally disturbed 18 year old who was shot by police after pulling out a hairbrush. Officers thought he was holding a gun. The death drew attention to the NYPD's methods ...

New York, NY —

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is ending what he calls a kickback scheme between a student loan company and 63 colleges, including St. Johns University.

REPORTER: According to Cuomo the Florida based company, Student Financial Services, paid colleges in order to use their branding, thus misleading students ...

New York, NY —

Part of an MTA proposal includes increasing the price of monthly Metrocards to $81, up from $76 and the introduction of a 14-day unlimited card. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: The proposals have already received the blessings of the governor and mayor, pretty much ensuring ...

New York, NY —

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky says the MTA can still delay its December 19 vote to raise fares and allow the state to come up with more funding.

REPORTER: The MTA announced it intends to raise the price of monthly Metrocards by 5 dollars but Brodsky says they ...

New York, NY —

The city has detailed some of the immediate measures it's taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% in the next 10 years. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: Most of the work involves the simple task of installing more efficient light bulbs, in dozens of ...

New York, NY —

Construction has started on the extension of the 7 train, which eventually will take riders from Times Square where it currently ends to 11th Avenue and 34th Street. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more. REPORTER: The extension of the 7 line is expected to cost the ...

New York, NY —

The city's proposed redevelopment of Willets Point would bring housing, a hotel and a convention center to the Queens neighborhood. But the businesses already there told the City Council it's a raw deal. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: The issue of eminent domain dominated the ...

New York, NY —

The City Planning Commission endured frequent disruptions before approving the proposal to transform 17-acres of West Harlem.

To the surprise of many opponents of the plan, Commissioner Irwin Kantor, abstained, saying he was opposed to Columbia's threat to use eminent domain in order to evict holdout ...

New York, NY —

The MTA says the 2 dollar base subway fare may not be increased after all. The announcement was made by Governor Spitzer, who says MTA officials recently found an extra $220 million in their year-end projections, based on extra rider ship and real estate taxes.

SPITZER: ...

New York, NY —

Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver says Governor Spitzer still has time to re-think his plan to issue drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants.

REPORTER: Silver voiced concerns that the current, 3-tier plan could scare away illegal immigrants, by singling them out. But he said that ultimately, the governor ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg says he's been in touch with UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon regarding 900 safety violations in UN buildings. City officials have been meeting with U-N officials to address the matter.

BLOOMBERG: And we are making some progress. But not progress enough. I've written them ...

New York, NY —

According to a new report the number of homeless veterans in the state increased dramatically between 2005 and 2006, up from 12,700 to over 21,000.

REPORTER: Senator Charles Schumer says veterans of the war in Iraq are becoming homeless much faster than they did after the ...

New York, NY —

That furious sound you hear comes from about 170 feet below midtown Manhattan - a TBM or tunnel boring machine inching its way through the city's underground rock.

The TBM weighs 640 tons and is 22 feet wide. MTA engineers say the $10 million machine works ...

New York, NY —

Lawmakers are asking Mayor Bloomberg to create an independent panel of health experts to help determine who exactly qualifies as a victim of 9/11. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: The 3 Representatives - Carolyn Maloney, Vito Fossella and Jerrold Nadler - say the process of ...