The Columbus Circle Subway Station is deserted after the Transit Workers Union Executive Board voted to reject the MTA's final offer and declare a strike effective immediately, shutting down all bus and subway service in New York City, December 20, 2005. New York transit workers walked off the job for the first time in 25 years on Tuesday, stranding millions of people who rely on the largest U.S. bus and subway system each day. REUTERS/Peter Foley

Closed turnstiles sit idle at the Times Square subway station in New York December 20, 2005. New York transit workers walked off the job for the first time in 25 years, stranding millions of people who rely on the bus and subway system each day. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The gate of the entrance to the Times Square subway station in New York is locked December 20, 2005. New York transit workers walked off the job for the first time in 25 years, leaving millions of people who rely on the bus and subway system each day stranded. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Pictures of the Month December 2005