This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/nyregion/andrew-cuomo-penn-station-nyc.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Can Penn Station Handle 175,000 More Riders? Cuomo Thinks So | Can Penn Station Handle 175,000 More Riders? Cuomo Thinks So |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Pennsylvania Station, the busiest rail station in the Western Hemisphere, would add eight tracks to its 21-track layout under an ambitious plan outlined on Monday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. | Pennsylvania Station, the busiest rail station in the Western Hemisphere, would add eight tracks to its 21-track layout under an ambitious plan outlined on Monday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. |
| The new tracks would allow the remodeled Penn Station complex to accommodate an additional 175,000 riders to the 650,000 daily travelers who flow through the station now, Mr. Cuomo said during a speech to a business group. | |
| The station, tucked below Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, is a nexus for New York City’s transportation network: Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road, the subways and New Jersey Transit all use the station, which serves more passengers daily than the region’s three major airports, Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark Liberty International. | The station, tucked below Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, is a nexus for New York City’s transportation network: Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road, the subways and New Jersey Transit all use the station, which serves more passengers daily than the region’s three major airports, Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark Liberty International. |
| Penn Station, which is owned by Amtrak, is currently plagued with aging tracks in need of repairs, narrow platforms and bottlenecks that riders encounter when trying to get to their train, causing safety concerns. Years of putting off repairs at the station contributed to two derailments in 2017, forcing Amtrak to undertake an emergency repair program and cut back service for months. | Penn Station, which is owned by Amtrak, is currently plagued with aging tracks in need of repairs, narrow platforms and bottlenecks that riders encounter when trying to get to their train, causing safety concerns. Years of putting off repairs at the station contributed to two derailments in 2017, forcing Amtrak to undertake an emergency repair program and cut back service for months. |
| The proposal to construct additional tracks is one piece of Mr. Cuomo’s plan to overhaul the station, which also includes converting a neighboring post office into a new train hub and eventually redesigning the existing station. | The proposal to construct additional tracks is one piece of Mr. Cuomo’s plan to overhaul the station, which also includes converting a neighboring post office into a new train hub and eventually redesigning the existing station. |
| Mr. Cuomo did not put a price tag on his plan, which would require demolishing an entire block. But he suggested that it could be funded by a mix of deals known as payments in lieu of taxes, economic development around Penn Station and financing from Amtrak, which faces its own budget challenges. | Mr. Cuomo did not put a price tag on his plan, which would require demolishing an entire block. But he suggested that it could be funded by a mix of deals known as payments in lieu of taxes, economic development around Penn Station and financing from Amtrak, which faces its own budget challenges. |
| “This is a fundamental reconstruction of the existing Penn,” Mr. Cuomo said. “We want to change it into a world-class experience.” | “This is a fundamental reconstruction of the existing Penn,” Mr. Cuomo said. “We want to change it into a world-class experience.” |
| This was not the first time the governor has promoted a plan to revamp Penn Station and many aspects of his latest proposal remained vague, including how long the project would take. | This was not the first time the governor has promoted a plan to revamp Penn Station and many aspects of his latest proposal remained vague, including how long the project would take. |
| Still many transit advocates applauded Mr. Cuomo’s announcement on Monday, noting the urgent need for increased track capacity at Penn Station. | Still many transit advocates applauded Mr. Cuomo’s announcement on Monday, noting the urgent need for increased track capacity at Penn Station. |
| “Today’s announcement is a great step for the future prosperity of the entire metropolitan region,” Tom Wright, the president of the Regional Plan Association, an urban policy group, said in a statement. “We are pleased to see a comprehensive plan that encompasses not only the station itself, but also the district surrounding it.” | “Today’s announcement is a great step for the future prosperity of the entire metropolitan region,” Tom Wright, the president of the Regional Plan Association, an urban policy group, said in a statement. “We are pleased to see a comprehensive plan that encompasses not only the station itself, but also the district surrounding it.” |
| But some urban planners said the plan was not bold enough and focusing on Midtown Manhattan as a nexus of commuter rail service fails to recognize shifting commuter patterns in New York. | But some urban planners said the plan was not bold enough and focusing on Midtown Manhattan as a nexus of commuter rail service fails to recognize shifting commuter patterns in New York. |
| Investing heavily in the new Penn Station terminal “is hindering the development of other parts of the city,” said Jim Venturi, an urban planner and founder of ReThink NYC, a transportation design firm. | |
| Mr. Venturi believes a better plan would be to redesign existing tracks and to widen platforms, rather than construct new tracks, to allow trains to cross midtown for other areas of the city. A New Jersey Transit train, for instance, could travel through Penn Station all the way to Long Island City in Queens. | Mr. Venturi believes a better plan would be to redesign existing tracks and to widen platforms, rather than construct new tracks, to allow trains to cross midtown for other areas of the city. A New Jersey Transit train, for instance, could travel through Penn Station all the way to Long Island City in Queens. |
| The current plan “is a really an out-of-date way of seeing the city,” he said. | The current plan “is a really an out-of-date way of seeing the city,” he said. |
| State officials have said that having commuter trains cross into parts of New York is a possibility in the future and have also emphasized the importance of suburban trains connecting to subway lines in existing stations. | State officials have said that having commuter trains cross into parts of New York is a possibility in the future and have also emphasized the importance of suburban trains connecting to subway lines in existing stations. |
| To build the additional tracks, Mr. Cuomo said the state would seek to acquire property south of Penn Station, parts of which are owned by Amtrak and the Archdiocese of New York. The process of acquiring the property and the planning for the expansion is expected to take around two years before construction can begin, state officials said. | To build the additional tracks, Mr. Cuomo said the state would seek to acquire property south of Penn Station, parts of which are owned by Amtrak and the Archdiocese of New York. The process of acquiring the property and the planning for the expansion is expected to take around two years before construction can begin, state officials said. |
| Mr. Cuomo said he was also exploring converting the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, which sits atop the train hub, into a new entrance to the station, increasing access and bringing more light into the terminal. | Mr. Cuomo said he was also exploring converting the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, which sits atop the train hub, into a new entrance to the station, increasing access and bringing more light into the terminal. |
| Since the early 2000s, developers and others seeking ways to expand Penn Station have floated the idea of moving the famous arena entirely — a notion that has not gained traction. | Since the early 2000s, developers and others seeking ways to expand Penn Station have floated the idea of moving the famous arena entirely — a notion that has not gained traction. |
| Expanding Penn Station would also not address a major problem in the region’s transportation network: the need to replace the aging tunnels under the Hudson River that carry New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third-busiest commuter rail system. | Expanding Penn Station would also not address a major problem in the region’s transportation network: the need to replace the aging tunnels under the Hudson River that carry New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third-busiest commuter rail system. |
| The Gateway Project to create a new rail tunnel under the river has stalled in recent years because of financing and so far the Trump administration has shown little inclination of helping fund the project. | The Gateway Project to create a new rail tunnel under the river has stalled in recent years because of financing and so far the Trump administration has shown little inclination of helping fund the project. |
| Throughout his years in office, Mr. Cuomo has pushed a series of significant and expensive transportation projects, like linking the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal and rebuilding La Guardia. | Throughout his years in office, Mr. Cuomo has pushed a series of significant and expensive transportation projects, like linking the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal and rebuilding La Guardia. |
| In 2016, he began laying out plans to convert the general post office across Eighth Avenue into a grand train and retail hub. Mr. Cuomo painted a picture of the new station — complete with an acre of glass and the original steel trusses — comparable to Grand Central, which is considered one of the country’s most breathtaking public spaces. | In 2016, he began laying out plans to convert the general post office across Eighth Avenue into a grand train and retail hub. Mr. Cuomo painted a picture of the new station — complete with an acre of glass and the original steel trusses — comparable to Grand Central, which is considered one of the country’s most breathtaking public spaces. |
| On Monday, Mr. Cuomo announced that the renovation of the post office to serve Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road riders would be completed by the end of this year. | On Monday, Mr. Cuomo announced that the renovation of the post office to serve Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road riders would be completed by the end of this year. |
| “This forward-thinking plan should serve as a model to the nation as we strive to build 21st century transportation and infrastructure systems,’’ said Anthony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak’s Board. | “This forward-thinking plan should serve as a model to the nation as we strive to build 21st century transportation and infrastructure systems,’’ said Anthony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak’s Board. |