IF GOV. Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg and MTA Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger don't act fast, the Second Avenue Subway will wind up a fiasco like the Fulton Street Transit Center - but on a much grander scale. The work on Second Avenue is already traumatizing stores, businesses and residents. Of course, the project is a truly worthy endeavor (unlike the Fulton scheme). If completed, it will justify the hardships.
But only if it gets done.
MENACE ON 2ND AVE
And - absent urgent and immediate attention from Albany and City Hall - the project will surely face a moment of truth like the MTA's recent admission that it can't finish the Fulton job, even at nearly twice the original estimated cost.
The MTA's capital-budget summary (released in February) farcically underbudgets all that work at $4.34 billion. And it takes only common sense to appreciate what a pittance that is.
The MTA says it needs $1.1 billion for the Fulton project - not to lay an inch of track, buy new subway cars or build new stations, but just to rearrange underground platforms and build a pedestrian tunnel to Ground Zero. And in all likelihood, $1.1 billion won't be enough, thanks to galloping building-trade inflation (as much as 5 percent, by some estimates).
By that light, it doesn't take an engineer or an accountant to grasp that $4.34 billion for the Second Avenue Subway Phase 1 is a joke.
11 comments:
why can't these people just walk to lexington avenue to take the subway?
If the money doesn't exist, it doesn't exist.
For those of you who don't know lexington ave is 2 blocks from 2nd ave and for most of the planned route they would run parallel.
It's true lexington ave line is overcrowded but nothing compared to many subways around the world like tokyo.
Time to give this one up after too many years of false starts. There must be a curse on it.
The Messiah will arrive before this subway line is ever finished.
How many times has the 2nd Ave subway been "fully funded" by bond issues specifically for it? 3? 4?
The MTA should be disbanded for criminal malfeasance
Why not build an elevated line on second avenue, or along the FDR drive?
If the east side subways are as crowded as they say - the people there will accept it.
It would be much cheaper.
Most of what you wrote here was plagiarized (copied) from an opinion piece, by Steve Cuozzo, that appear in the NY Post on May 15.
Here's a link to the original piece from the Post:
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05152008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/menace_on_2nd_ave_110964.htm
It would be better to comment on Steve Cuozzo's piece, rather than just copy it and pretend that you wrote it.
Queens Crap *did* put up a link to the NY Post article.
I was never satisfied with the two track line the MTA had planned. Especially in light of the old Board of Transit's 1929 plan that called for six tracks. In the interim the city should build a BRT route down 2nd Ave as a stop gap until a worthy subway line is finally built.
Yes, I saw the hyperlink under the text "Menace on 2nd Ave" now.
The writer still should have provided credit to the NY Post since he was using their copyrighted material, I assume without their permission.
6 tracks would cost billions extra and take forever to build in today's world. Look how long (1 year so far) it has taken "just" to move the utility lines on 2nd btw. 91st and 96th so they can start to build the launch box for the SAS tunnel boring machine.
I agree with you that the MTA should implement a Bus Rapid Transit line down 2nd Avenue until the 2nd Avenue Subway line is running.
I think the Second Av Subway should have a different route such as
125 st
116 st
106 st
96 st
92 st
86 st
72 st(exress train stop)
63 st
55 st
49 st
42 st(express train stop)
34 st
23 st
14 st(expree train stop)
Houston st
Grand st
Chatham Sq(express train stop)
Seaport(express train stop)
Hanover Sq(terminal)
I believe the Second Avenue Subway
should exist but fares will go up and the construction will put major buisnesses out of order. The SAS shoud consit of 3 trains such as the 8,9 and T trains . The 8 and 9 trains are local and the T should go express .
With the construction of the Second Avenue Subway it will Provide better service from the
crowded Lexington Avenue Line.
In the meantime the MTA should
release buses that will make the same stops as the future Second Av
Subway. The bus should be called the MT.
The Second Avenue Subway would be a solution for residents of the far east side of Manhattan. The subway will reduce traffic on the crowded Lexington Av lines. If phases 1-3 are completed then the line should go from 125 street to 14 street.
this should be it's route.
125 street(northern terminal)
116 street
106 street
96 street
91 street
86 street
72 street(express train stop)
66 street
55 street
42 street(express train stop)
34 street
23 street
14 street
Houston street(express)
Grand street(express)
Catham SQ(express)
seaport(express)
Hanover Sq(southern terminal)
It's true the Lexington Av Lines are overcrowded so is the trains in TOKYO.
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