The moment to rethink Penn
Many transit advocates, myself included, were blindsided by Gov. Cuomo’s late push for control over the redevelopment of Penn Station in this year’s state budget. Controversy over the appropriateness of the move aside, elected officials statewide seized the opportunity to make it clear that they recognize the urgent need to address the nightmare in the transit hub.
Now is the time to leverage this momentum and put into action a real, cost-effective plan to fix Penn Station.
As transit advocates and tenants a block away from the station, we’ve heard for years from commuters about the rush hour madness they experience twice daily. Riders have been clamoring for a solution, only to be told Penn was too complicated, too difficult and too costly to solve. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
We should have a sense of urgency about this. Madison Square Garden’s operating permit is on track to expire in 2023, presenting a once-in-a-generation opportunity to relocate the arena. Doing so is critical to modernizing this transit hub to make it safer, more easily navigable and more efficient.
Another star is aligned: As the region inches forward on the Gateway project to replace the tunnels underneath the Hudson and the new Hudson Yards development comes online, a reimagined Penn can better serve the hundreds of thousands of commuters who pass through it every day.
As important as it is to consider Penn Station in light of the need to build out reliable cross-Hudson commutes, a new station isn’t just about preparing for a busier future: The current layout is a serious safety issue. In the event of any sort of emergency, Penn would be a nightmare for commuters and first responders.
I travel through there every day and know firsthand that getting in and out of the station during off peak hours is challenging; during rush hour, it’s almost impossible.
Imagine if lighting were compromised or smoke filled the low ceilings of the station’s corridors. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Outside the station, pedestrian traffic also creates dangerous conditions. It’s time to permanently widen the sidewalks on 32nd St. between 6th and 7th Aves., to alleviate congestion there, too.
Because the bones of MSG are in good repair, completely reworking and reimagining the station can be done affordably and efficiently.
One practical idea imagined by renowned architect Vishaan Chakrabarti would keep the bulk of the exterior structure intact, replacing the entire façade and roof with glass to allow for natural light to flood the station.
Removing the arena above would also enable us to open up nearly the entire perimeter to the street to allow passengers to enter and exit the station easily, regardless of the direction they’re heading. At the same time, we can improve customer amenities, creating larger passageways, new restrooms, additional seating and waiting areas, and better dining and retail options.
Of all the state’s transportation and infrastructure needs, it’s hard to argue that any project is more critical to the safety and economic well-being of the region. When it was designed, planners built Penn Station to serve 200,000 passengers; today, Penn Station serves 650,000 passengers daily. That’s more than the capacity of LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports combined. Estimates from the Regional Plan Association expect trips into Manhattan to increase by 72,000 by 2040, meaning that kicking the can down the road is no longer an option.
Beyond serving as a central hub for the New York City Subway system, Penn Station is an entry point to Manhattan for commuters from across the metropolitan area. The number of commuters coming from Long Island has increased by about 5% since 2010, with about 500 LIRR trains originating or terminating at Penn daily.
That growth is dwarfed by the increase in ridership from New Jersey, which is now one of the largest commuter hubs in the country and has seen a whopping 28% increase in the number of crossHudson commuters over the past 25 years. That number will only continue to grow as the region works to improve infrastructure between New York and New Jersey.
We must stop trying to run a 21st-century economy on infrastructure that was barely sufficient in the 20th.
New York City's population has increased by almost half a million people since 2010, and is likely to keep growing. We have to plan for the future, and doing so means there’s no time like the present to hold our elected leaders accountable.