Two years in the past, the Democratic Congress handed the bipartisan infrastructure bill, officially the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Biden signed. Shortly in a while, we heard from a an expert one who identified that on page 1,008 of the 1,039-page law there was once a brand new initiative known as the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program environment apart $36 billion over 5 years, with $24 billion devoted for the Northeast Corridor, working from Boston to Washington.
This $24 billion might be used to lend a hand improve essentially the most distinguished level of the NEC, Penn Station, the Amtrak-owned facility that everybody has the same opinion is a shame. And sure, there it was once, billions in federal bucks particularly for the NEC — and there’s not anything extra central to the NEC than Penn, however not anything is what it will be.
By final November, the repair was once in. Or in reality the repair for Penn was once out, because the Amtrak-friendly Federal Railroad Administration made up a listing of initiatives at the NEC and divided them into two buckets (their phrase). Bucket 1 was first funding priority and Bucket 2 was second funding priority. It supposed that Bucket 2 wasn’t a concern in any respect. Surprise, wonder, the whole thing that Amtrak sought after was once in Bucket 1, together with many portions of its Gateway boondoggle. But Penn Station, which serves way more passengers than any place else at the NEC, was once in Bucket 2.
Last Monday, Biden introduced who were given what in awarding $16 billion for the NEC. And everything on the Amtrak/FRA Bucket 1 list were given funded, together with billions extra to throw down the Gateway hollow, however the pit this is Penn Station were given zilch.
The president, speaking at an Amtrak yard in Delaware final Monday mentioned, “over 2,200 trains run on this corridor every single day, serving 800,000 passengers.” While the ones are pre-COVID numbers and indubitably decrease now, what he didn’t say is that 95% of the ones trains and 95% of the ones passengers aren’t using on Amtrak, however at the state-run commuter rail traces, (Boston’s MBTA, Metro-North, LIRR, NJTransit, Philly’s SEPTA and MARC in Maryland). It would had been some distance much less spectacular to spend $16 billion only for Amtrak’s tiny load.
Some pieces in Bucket 2 did obtain cash, just like the Penn Station Access plan to construct 4 new Metro-North stations within the Bronx that can attach into Penn (a challenge working in the back of time table as a result of Amtrak received’t cooperate with the MTA). And the 2 different Penn stations, in Newark and Baltimore (each Bucket 2), every were given investment. But the most important Penn of all of them, right here in New York, which overwhelmingly handles essentially the most Amtrak passengers in comparison to some other station within the country, in addition to through some distance essentially the most commuter passengers (on NJT, LIRR and sooner or later, Metro-North) was once zeroed out.
Meanwhile, Penn’s rehab is within the billions and the previous Cuomo scheme to leverage new towers from Vornado has collapsed with out a new investment recognized through the MTA or Gov. Hochul. The MTA estimates the associated fee tag is $7 billion, whilst the bid put ahead through ASTM has climbed from $6 billion to $8 billion, in line with records obtained by the New York Post.
In idea, Uncle Sam is to pay part and the opposite part to be cut up with New Jersey, however the ones companions have produced nada, as Amtrak makes a speciality of a $17 billion unneeded Penn annex that will damage a complete town block.