"Today is a difficult day for New York. I've known Jim Dwyer for most of my life. We grew up near each other, attended Fordham College together and later crossed paths professionally.

Jim’s passing is an immense loss for his family, colleagues, all who knew him, and also for this city. His coverage of the subways--first as a reporter and later as a columnist--brought critical attention to the role that mass transit plays in the lives of New Yorkers and the critical work of transit workers. That reporting helped fuel a new cycle of investment in the system and many of the improvements from that era live on today.

Jim’s prose could be doggedly critical, but it was also marked by a profound empathy for New York and its people. His writing after 9/11 humanized the experiences of New Yorkers and brought a measure of comfort to a city still trying to make sense of tragedy.

I extend my deepest condolences to his spouse Cathy, and children Maura and Catherine and to all mourning the loss of a true giant."