NY Gov Unveils Plan To Remake, Rename Penn Station

November 3, 2021 Government, Travel

Gothamist reports:

Governor Kathy Hochul plans to forge forward with a redesign of Penn Station and the surrounding neighborhood, but will put her own spin on the project first proposed by her predecessor Andrew Cuomo.

“This area is is the beating heart of our city,” Hochul said during a press conference Wednesday, noting it’s the busiest transit hub in North America. She called her plan a way to make “a Penn Station worthy of New Yorkers.”

In addition to the governor calling it “depressing,” “crowded,” and “confusing,” Regional Plan Association president Tom Wright called the present-day Penn Station “reviled” and MTA Acting Chairman Janno Lieber said it was a “humiliating” experience for commuters.

The New York Times reports:

Despite the new focus, the administration is still calculating how much the entire development would cost — a reimagined Penn Station could be $7 billion, the officials said — as well as firming up how it would be funded and who would be responsible for funding it.

Aides to Ms. Hochul said that she wanted the project to benefit New Yorkers first and foremost, directing state agencies to prioritize the new Penn Station and new public amenities.

“New Yorkers do not deserve what they have been subjected to for decades at Penn Station,’’ Ms. Hochul said in a statement. “This plan puts New Yorkers first, delivering the rider-focused transit experience and great neighborhood they deserve. Investing in Penn Station means investing in New York’s future as we build back from Covid.”

In the press conference below, Hochul argues that a NYC landmark should not be named for a “neighboring state.”

Penn Station is named for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which no longer exists after mergers with other railroads and a bankruptcy that eventually turned them into an insurance company, which also no longer exists.

Travelers are sometimes confused that Penn Station is on the same line as Newark Penn Station. Seven other cities, including Cincinnati and Baltimore have a Penn Station.



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