I love how you put it in capital letters.I love that the replacement MSG/Penn Station price tag was FOURTEEN BILLION DOLLARS.
I love how you put it in capital letters.I love that the replacement MSG/Penn Station price tag was FOURTEEN BILLION DOLLARS.
I know...But Dolan wanted a permanent lease...and he was only given the 10 yr term. My neighbor also works for the Knicks..that is where I got the info on why the Garden was renovated. Don't forget a new MSG was part of the original plans for a new Penn Station that were unveiled a few years back. Dolan was on board with that plan then suddenly did the renovation instead keeping his tax breaks. He will get his lease in time..BUT the 10 lease is the City Council shooting a shot across his bow. When your name isn't Larry Silverstein or Donald Trump it isn't so easy to push the NYC City Council around.The vote was between a ten year lease or a permanent lease. So the outcome was fairly obvious. It really wasn't a vote to kick them out. They can just extend the lease in 10 years.
I work with a guy in my firehouse who is a sandhog. He has said there are no new tunnel projects that are a go right now in NYC outside of what is already being worked on (7 train extension is done, LIRR or as we call it East Side Access to Grand Central is past 1/2 way point, 2nd Ave Subway project in progress). The LIRR will have a direct train to GCT when that project is finished from Atlantic Ave in South Jamaica so you can connect to air train to JFK. As for rail access on the new Tappan Zee..forget about it..the design that was accepted contained no rail provision what so ever..nor can one be added to it in the future. Tbere are also no dedicated bus lanes either. This will turn out to be a HUGE mistake! My company is constantly doing inspections on the projects in Manhattan as they progress since we are responsible for any and all technical rescues. Some of the stuff you mentioned is on a wish list but most likely not going to happen (like Metro North trains to Penn ).
We shall see...but from what I have been told by the MTA guy in charge of the LIRR east side access project about Metro North trains going to Penn Station I won't be expecting it any time soon. The new rail tunnel project will most likely be run by the Port Authority...and everyone knows how long they take to do things!Other than praying every time I drive over a bridge that was built in the 50’s that handles double the load it was designed for and was only supposed to last 50 years, I have not followed what design has been approved or not approved.
As for MetroNorth trains to Penn Station, I believe there is an agreement within the MTA to give MetroNorth access to Penn Station in exchange for LIRR access to Grand Central. So, the question is when not if. Logistically, I believe MetroNorth is going to loop trains along the Harlem River past Yankee Stadium and then use the existing Amtrak rail along the West Side into Penn Station.
I do believe that a 3rd rail tunnel will be built between NJ and NYC in the not too distant future. Just too much riding on it – the need to modernize and speed-up the nation’s only profitable rail corridor, NJ transit has maxed out the use of the two current tunnels and heaven forbid one of the tunnels is shut down for more than a day, and the shift of traditional ’suburban’ from NJ back into NYC.
As for Penn Station itself, it needs to be replaced even without the extra traffic that will be coming in over the next 10 to 20 years.
The 10 year lease is a loud warning shot to Dolan to play ball or else.
As for MetroNorth trains to Penn Station, I believe there is an agreement within the MTA to give MetroNorth access to Penn Station in exchange for LIRR access to Grand Central. So, the question is when not if. Logistically, I believe MetroNorth is going to loop trains along the Harlem River past Yankee Stadium and then use the existing Amtrak rail along the West Side into Penn Station.
MetroNorth New Haven and Harlem lines through Hell’s Gate and then Sunnyside into Penn Station? I did not think there was any capacity at all left in the East River tunnels (4x) between LIRR, NJT, Amtrak, and holding space for all three.
As for when, I agree, the Port Authority is right up there with MTA and NJT when it comes to getting things done. I am still trying to figure our why my increased toll on the GWB goes to pay for cost overruns at the new WTC site. Shouldn’t the private developers working it pay for cost overruns?
As for this topic, we both appear to be in agreement that Penn Station needs to expand. The question is where and if Dolan will play ball or not.
MetroNorth New Haven and Harlem lines through Hell’s Gate and then Sunnyside into Penn Station? I did not think there was any capacity at all left in the East River tunnels (4x) between LIRR, NJT, Amtrak, and holding space for all three.
Just like the first three. The present building is the fourth. The first two were at Madison Square, where Broadway crosses Fifth in the lower twenties. The third was on the west side, in the theatre district.Move MSG? Anyone have an idea how that might be done?
If part of the East Side Access plan is to redirect Penn bound LIRR trains to Grand Central, then there should be the capacity to make up for those trains from MNR into Penn through the East River Tunnels.