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New York transit chief: ‘Not a chance’ for subway to New Jersey
To extend the subway into New Jersey is silly and a waste of money when the real need is for more train tracks that can handle local, regional and long distance trains in, out and through Manhattan.
Where are the visionaries like Pennsy’s Cassatt who spearheaded the current 2 tracks under the Hudson? Or is it really true that what could be accomplished 100 years ago can’t be accomplished today?
Little Switzerland builds tunnels like crazy and the US talks about building tunnels into its most populous city and winces at the cost. Meanwhile, tunneling becomes more expensive with each passing day and need for it continues to become greater.
Even Bloomberg doesnt have that much money!
From a rider and efficiency point of view, extending the number 7 to New Jersey (where it could connect to Jersey Transit and Path) makes sense as it would add a direct connection to the Grand Central area - which is where a lot of people want to go.
From a financial perspective it makes no sense because everything the MTA does loses money and just causes higher taxes. I live 35 miles from New York and never use mass transit - but I have to pay a special MTA payroll tax because I live in the metro area.
The people who use mass transit should pay for mass transit. The politicians keep the fare artificially low and then cry to the state that they need more tax money. Let the fare rise to the breakeven level. It would still be a better deal than trying to get around NYC in a car.
It would be cheaper to build a trains only bridge over the Hudson river and connect to the West side tracks than to build a tunnel.
Now is the perfect time for the Port Authority of New York/New
Jersey to build a new PATH tunnel using the alignment that
the #7 was considering. Maybe extending it via abandoned railroad rights-of-way to Newark Penn. The ‘subway’ train frequency makes commuter rail look as if it’s parked.
The PANYNJ is not hurting for cash, despite the economy.
Their over a century old Newark-Jersey City(Hoboken)-
World Trade Center line is ‘printing money’.