The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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NEW YORK, NY — New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) are calling the city’s congestion pricing program a resounding success, just six months after its launch. Officials announced Saturday that the initiative has reduced traffic in Lower Manhattan by 67,000 vehicles per day and is projected to generate $500 million in revenue by 2025—funds that will fuel $15 billion in public transit upgrades.
By Michael Gartland
May 21, 2017 | 5:00pm
Governor Cuomo turned to President Trump on Sunday to help bail New Yorkers out of a looming mass transit crisis at Penn Station, a situation he likened to a natural disaster.
In a letter to Trump dated May 21, Cuomo requested “the federal government treat this as an emergency situation” and asked Trump to provide funding for construction and transportation alternatives, as well as for a long-term solution.
“While this is not a hurricane or flood it will affect as many people and businesses with dire consequences,” Cuomo continues. “Like a natural disaster, we didn’t create it but our public offices require we address it.”
https://nypost.com/2017/05/21/cuomo-asks-trump-for-help-with-disastrous-penn-station/
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today issued a joint letter to the CEO of Amtrak and Executive Director of the Federal Railroad Administration calling for a complete review of Amtrak’s infrastructure and maintenance protocols at Penn Station.
The text of the letter is below:
“Following recent train derailments and severe service disruptions at New York’s Pennsylvania Station, the need for a complete review of Amtrak’s infrastructure and maintenance protocols has become clear. While Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration are undertaking these badly needed assessments, the states of New York and New Jersey have not been invited to participate in the assessment and in the development of the needed response.
“As the primary users of Penn Station via the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit, New York and New Jersey are requesting independent verification of track safety at Penn Station. Specifically, this comprehensive review should take into account the causes of recent failures at Penn Station and any needed changes to the processes by which routine maintenance and emergency repairs are performed.
“As you know, Penn Station is more than just a rail hub – it is a regional economic engine. The Long Island Rail Road carries 230,000 passengers through Penn Station every day. NJ Transit brings nearly 200,000 commuters to and from Manhattan every day. These riders, residents of our states, deserve safe and reliable rail service.
“Severe service disruptions at Penn Station not only impact and inconvenience riders, but also create a ripple effect across the region.
“Our passengers and our residents deserve better. “
Many weekday commuters struggle to exit trains as the number of riders is increasing and construction compounds the problem
By
MELANIE GRAYCE WEST and
ANDREW TANGEL
March 20, 2017 4:13 p.m. ET
The morning rush has become the morning crush for some NJ Transit commuters arriving at New York Penn Station.
The scene plays out like this: When a train pulls in, commuters queue up for the doors and arrive on a platform that is both narrow and jammed, people shoved together elbow to elbow. To exit from the platform, commuters sometimes encounter an onslaught of passengers trying to catch another train or a crush of passengers from an arriving train.
Sometimes the escalator is going down instead of up, the narrow stairwells are packed single file or, in a truly frustrating situation, a new stairwell is gated.
The morning commute for thousands already ends at the much maligned Penn Station. Now, some say, the escape from Penn Station is worse, with platforms more jammed than ever as the number of commuters increases.
In 2016, average weekday boardings at Penn Station numbered 94,859 people, up from 92,314 in 2015 and 87,130 in 2014, according to Nancy Snyder, a NJ Transit spokeswoman. Each weekday, about 57,000 NJ Transit customers use Penn Station platforms between the hours of 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., according to Nancy Snyder.