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New York Times and Newsday publish editorials on Moynihan Station

Juliette Michaelson on December 28, 2007 |

Thumbnail image for NYT-newsday.pngOn December 28, the New York Times published an editorial calling for Governor Eliot Spitzer and ESDC Chairman Pat Foye to make public the latest plans for Moynihan Station, allowing for a meaningful public conversation about its design. "Once details are aired, commuters and others should make sure that this private-public partnership gives the public its due."

Just two days earlier, Newsday wrote an editorial about the benefits of the new Moynihan Station for LIRR commuters, and called for the MTA and ESDC to stay on track with the planning of the station.

We wholeheartedly agree with both pieces. Full text of the editorials on the jump.
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New York Times Editorial, December 28, 2007

Miracle on 32nd Street

After more than a decade of dreaming, it may still take a miracle to build a new Pennsylvania Station in New York City. The odds would increase if Gov. Eliot Spitzer's development team presented their proposal to the public as soon as possible. Then everyone -- especially the people who use the station -- could push to make this much-needed project happen.

Pennsylvania Station is now the busiest rail station in the country. It also ranks among the dreariest public facilities anywhere. Members of a group called Friends of Moynihan Station recently went there to distribute sketches of plans to rebuild the station and name it for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. It was like handing out a flagon of holiday cheer to downtrodden commuters who had no idea there was a possibility for something better.

To get the public involved, Governor Spitzer's development team, led by Patrick Foye, will have to unveil their plans for the project, as long promised. Once details are aired, commuters and others should make sure that this private-public partnership gives the public its due. One worry is that the James A. Farley Post Office building -- the site for part of the new station and a grand example of Beaux-Arts architecture -- is properly preserved when Madison Square Garden also moves inside.

In recent days, some of the planners have hinted at another possibility. They talked about transplanting Macy's into the section of the new Moynihan station that would be east of Eighth Avenue. At this point, this move seems like another complication for a project that is already about as complex as public works can get. For one thing, the old Macy's building has national landmark status and needs to be protected. Also, moving Macy's to 32nd Street raises new questions about whether that part of the Moynihan complex would become more shopping mall than railroad station.

There are still many threads that need to be woven together. Right now, there are important negotiations going on about how to pay for the project, and whether the state, city and developers are contributing enough to pull in the necessary federal funds. If such negotiations must continue behind doors, that still does not mean the state and the developers can delay letting the public see detailed plans and proposals. Veteran commuters deserve some hope that the new Moynihan complex is not just another urban fantasy.


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Newsday Editorial, December 26, 2007

New Penn Station should serve Long Islanders, too

The train is leaving the station when it comes to the overhaul of Penn Station, a grand project intended to create an unrivaled regional transportation hub in the middle of Manhattan. Last year's proposal under Gov. George Pataki offered nothing for Long Island Rail Road riders. But the new plan is vastly improved for Long Islanders, and advocates should fight to keep our interests on board.

The old idea benefited Amtrak and New Jersey Transit passengers. The Farley Post Office building, at the corner of Eighth Avenue and 33rd Street, was to be remade as retail space and a train station, called Moynihan Station, after former Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who long advocated for restoring a welcoming gateway for travelers. But Assemb. Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) killed the proposal at the Public Authorities Control Board, arguing for a more ambitious plan.

In recent weeks, the Empire State Development Corp., now under new leadership, emerged with the new proposal, which would lift Madison Square Garden from its current perch and move it into the Farley building, along with the train station. The cost estimate has risen to $2 billion from $900 million, and the scramble to find the money is under way.

For LIRR riders, this is where things get interesting. Officials want to replace the Garden with a glass-domed roof, bringing light and space into the rabbit warren that is Penn Station. They promise shops and restaurants akin to Grand Central's. What a welcome change that would be from greasy hot dogs and empty storefronts.

Safety and circulation would be improved by adding exits and escalators, meaning less time spent waiting in line on platforms. And rail-to-rail and rail-to-subway transfers would be more convenient.

ESDC has vowed to have needed approvals in hand by this time next year. As officials search for the money to build, and contemplate cutting corners, Long Island's key advocates - MTA board member Mitchell Pally, ESDC co-chairman Pat Foye and the LIRR Commuters' Council - must stay involved and on track.