Samwise Metro NYC Newsletter
Monday, April 13, 2026
Mayor Mamdani Marks 100 Days With Bus Speed, Trash, and Grocery Pledges
Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated his first 100 days in office Sunday at a Queens rally, unveiling several new city commitments. The Department of Transportation will speed up buses 20% on 45 routes across all five boroughs, with improvements phased in over coming months. The Department of Sanitation will containerize all residential trash citywide by 2031, with at least one fully containerized community district per borough by the end of next year. City-funded grocery stores will open before the end of his first term, with the first location at La Marqueta in East Harlem scheduled for this year. Mamdani told supporters he is “just getting started.”
MTA Unveils $68 Billion Plan to Replace Nearly 2,400 Subway Cars
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced a $68 billion investment to replace subway car fleets on the 1, 3, and 6 lines, with an option to extend the program to the 2, 4, and 5 lines. The plan calls for nearly 2,400 new subway cars â more than the combined fleets of the Boston and Chicago rail systems â featuring open gangway car designs and onboard cameras for passenger safety. The new fleet is expected to be fully operational by 2030. The MTA described the program as the largest subway car replacement in the city’s history. Community board outreach for the Interborough Express project continues across Brooklyn and Queens.
NYPD Records Fewest First-Quarter Murders in City History at 54 Total
The NYPD reported 54 murders in New York City during the first three months of 2026, breaking the previous first-quarter record of 60 set in 2018. The city also recorded 139 shooting incidents, tying the all-time low from 2025. Brooklyn saw a 57% decline in murders, while Manhattan posted a 44% decrease. Citywide, major crime fell by more than 1,400 reported incidents compared to the same period in 2025. Staten Island recorded zero murders in 2026 — 178 consecutive days without a killing, the second-longest stretch in borough history. Public housing developments also posted their safest start to a year on record.
Newly Built Affordable Apartments in NYC Sit Empty for 439 Days on Average
Finished affordable housing units in New York City sit vacant for a median of 439 days between construction completion and occupancy, according to a new report. The gap — driven by the city’s slow housing lottery and placement processes — means thousands of affordable units are unavailable to residents who need them most, even as the city’s housing crisis deepens. HPD Commissioner Dina Levy told the City Council in March that the agency plans to overhaul both its housing lottery system and its homeless placement process. Mayor Mamdani’s administration has launched citywide “Rental Ripoff” hearings across all five boroughs to hear directly from tenants about their challenges.
AI Companies Push Manhattan Office Rents to Record Highs in First Quarter
Manhattan’s commercial real estate market posted strong gains in the first quarter of 2026, with leasing activity up and vacancy rates declining as companies — particularly AI firms — signed major new leases. AI-sector leasing in the first quarter represented roughly half of all such activity in 2025, according to JLL. Notable deals include Nscale Global Holdings’ lease at One Vanderbilt at $320 per square foot, the highest office rent ever recorded in New York, and legal AI firm Harvey’s 92,000-square-foot expansion at One Madison Avenue. Despite optimism, some brokers cautioned that the U.S.-Iran conflict and geopolitical instability could dampen deal activity in the months ahead.
Iran War Sends Tri-State Gas Prices Surging Past Five Dollars Per Gallon
Gas prices across the New York metropolitan area have climbed sharply since the U.S.-Iran conflict disrupted global oil supplies. A gallon of regular gasoline averaged $5.87 in New York City as of early April, up from roughly $2.98 before the war began — a 40% increase nationally. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut off roughly 20% of global oil flows, driving up diesel and jet fuel prices as well. Governor Hochul blamed “illegal tariffs” and the Iran war on the Trump administration. New Jersey averaged $4.09 per gallon and Connecticut $4.08 per gallon as of last week, both up significantly from a month prior.
Masked Gunmen Kill One and Wound Six at Union Township New Jersey Restaurant
A mass shooting inside a Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union Township, New Jersey, left one person dead and six others wounded on the evening of April 11. Multiple masked suspects entered the restaurant at approximately 8:40 p.m. and opened fire. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene; the six wounded were transported to nearby hospitals. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation, and authorities said preliminary findings indicate the shooting was not random. Police determined there was no ongoing threat to the general public. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest.
City Pulse
Yankees: Next: vs. Los Angeles Angels — Mon Apr 13 at 7:05 PM ET, Yankee Stadium
Mets: Next: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers — Mon Apr 13 at 7:10 PM ET, Citi Field
Knicks: Next: vs. Atlanta Hawks — Sun Apr 19, Madison Square Garden (first round, time TBD)
Rangers: Missed the 2026 playoff cut; regular season concludes April 16.