NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: NYPD To Add 200 Officers to Subway Trains and Platforms, Drivers React to Congestion Pricing, and Bradley Cooper’s Cheesesteak Pop-up Shop

Episode Date: January 7, 2025

Get up and get informed! Here's all the local news you need to start your day: The NYPD is adding 200 officers to subway trains and platforms to improve safety and focus on areas where most crimes occur. Meanwhile, Monday marked the first weekday morning rush with the MTA’s congestion pricing tolls in place, leaving some drivers frustrated over the extra costs. Plus, actor Bradley Cooper has been working at his new East Village cheesesteak restaurant, Danny and Coop’s, located on Avenue A and 10th Street.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, January 7th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. New York City officials and the NYPD say they're moving more police officers onto subway, cars, and platforms. NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch says she's adding 200 officers to the subways. She says most of them will be stationed on trains and platforms as opposed to to near entrances. She says the hope is to make New Yorkers feel safer on the subway and put more

officers where most crime happens. That's despite what the NYPD says was an overall drop in crime last year. Yesterday marked the first weekday and morning rush the MTA charged as congestion pricing tolls and some drivers, well, they're not loving the extra fees. Eric Hamm from Livingston, New Jersey, paid $9 to enter Manhattan and says he has no choice but to drive. trucks, but not much of a choice. My job doesn't give me a lot of options as far as the train. In fact, I don't live in a town with a train, so I'm driving to a train or I'm driving here. Trucks pay as much as $21.60 to enter the zone, like the one Brendan Martinez is behind the wheel of. He works for a mural painting company, which covers his fees, and even though the tolls are expected to reduce traffic in Manhattan,

Martinez still hates them. It's terrible. I mean, shoot, look at all. the crime that's in the subway, we should be putting money towards that. Stephen Nesson reports the law does require the MTA to use the toll money to pay for major subway and transit upgrades. The A-List actor Bradley Cooper has been causing a scene in the East Village recently. WNYC's Ryan Kyloth reports he was recently working the sandwich line at his new cheese steak restaurant, Danny and Coop's cheese steaks on Avenue A off 10th Street. So first thing to know, Danny and Coops is closed right now. Cooper was in the kitchen for a pop-up in December,

but the storefront across from Tompkins Square Park is dark now. It's collaboration between the actor and Angelo's Pizzeria, a popular South Philly spot. Spokesperson for the company says they'll announce their next opening via Instagram this week. They wouldn't say if it's a pop-up or a more permanent opening, which has cheese steak fans and Bradley Cooper fans, wondering just how long they'll have to wait for. their fix.

23 and partly cloudy, sunny and 31 for a high feeling as cold as 10 degrees and gusty today. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this afternoon.