Penn Station makeover project gets key approval

Plus: We're getting cell service in subway tunnels [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] Penn Station project marches on after approval from key state oversight board Plus: The MTA is expanding cell service to underground subway tunnels. Cab drivers want a raise. And a cyclist died on an Upper East Side street where Woody Allen once opposed a bike lane installation. Sponsor Message[Ad: NYC Means Business. Click here to find options to help you shop your city.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [Penn Station entrance by Madison Square Garden] Roy Richlin/Getty Images A key state oversight body on Wednesday [approved the financing plan]( to redevelop Penn Station and its surrounding neighborhood, greenlighting one of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s loftiest projects, which is estimated to cost a total of $22 billion. The Public Authorities Control Board (PACB) — an obscure state board that sank former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s [Amazon project]( — was charged with approving the way the Penn Station project would be funded. A two-page sheet published a day before the vote noted it would rely on 50% federal funds, with New York and New Jersey evenly splitting the rest of the costs. Along with Penn Station’s revitalization, which is expected to cost $7.2 billion alone, the plans will see the construction of 10 skyscrapers around Midtown and the creation of eight acres of open space. The state is calling it one of the biggest projects in city history. Part of the financing plan will involve charging the developers of the 10 skyscrapers — mainly Vornado Realty Corp. — a fee instead of collecting city real estate taxes. Mayor Eric Adams has previously said he’s on board with the arrangement. PACB Vote Despite reservations and criticisms from various members of the PACB, members did provide the required unanimous vote needed yesterday for the project to go forward. Holly Leicht, the executive vice president of real estate development and planning at the Empire State Development Corporation, which is overseeing the project, said Wednesday’s vote was the first of many the board would be holding. The approval of the funding structure comes despite the board not having an exact figure for how much in fees the developers would pay. State Sens. Brad Hoylman, Liz Krueger, and Robert Jackson — who have been critical of the plan — put out a joint statement suggesting the fight for a fair deal continues. "What today’s vote did not do was establish any deals with any real estate developers for the blocks surrounding Penn Station. Any future deals will have to return to the PACB, and we will continue fighting alongside the community to ensure that those deals are not just corporate welfare for developers," they wrote. [Read more about the project's criticisms]( Next phase This summer or early fall, the governor is also expected to select a design for the new Penn Station train hall, which will include a skylight and more floor space than Grand Central Terminal. The plan currently [does not call for adding tracks or increasing train capacity]( for commuters. The governor has also promised to rename the station. But Layla Law-Gisiko, who sits on the executive committee of Manhattan’s Community Board 5, said she was frustrated by the "very vague framework" the PACB voted on, leaving her questioning whether the state is serious about fixing Penn Station. — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen and Jon Campbell]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsor Message [Ad: NYC Means Business. Click here to find options to help you shop your city.] --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- We're getting cell service in the tunnels between subway stations [a woman on the subway in a face mask checking her phone] Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images The MTA on Tuesday [announced a plan]( to provide cell service between subway stations and to expand Wi-Fi to its above-ground subway and Staten Island Railway stations. To complete the project, which is expected to take a decade, the agency is partnering with 5G wireless infrastructure company Transit Wireless. The company has been supplying cell and Wi-Fi connectivity in the subway systems’ underground stations since 2007, and also installed full connectivity along the L train in 2020, the agency said. Dumbo resident Ying Zhang, who takes the F train to Manhattan every day and loses service during the underwater portion of the ride, said she’s looking forward to a more connected commute. "To have internet between the stations, that would be amazing," Zhang said. "I mean, it just makes your commute shorter if you're able to search, or sometimes work or check your Slack or check your emails or even." For attorney Susan Stolzer, who takes the 1 train to work in Midtown, improved connectivity is a good thing – but not a priority for her while commuting. "I would rather see improvements to the service, I would rather see upgrades to the stations," Soltzer said. "I would rather see enhancements of on-time performance of the trains, reliability of the trains, not having to wait 10 minutes for a train, less crowded trains, cleaner trains, cleaner stations." The expansion of cell and Wi-Fi service is expected to cost [$600 million]( and will be paid for by Transit Wireless. — [Reporting by Catalina Gonella]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's What Else Is Happening For-hire drivers are calling for pay raises for yellow cab and app-based drivers. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance rallied yesterday to ask the city to raise taxi meters and per-mile and per-minute pay rates for app-based drivers so that they all make at least $25 an hour after expenses. ([Gothamist]( New Jersey is continuing a program that will pay residents up to $4,000 if they buy an electric vehicle. The switch to EVs is part of the state's plan to use 100% green energy by 2050. ([Gothamist]( A young cyclist died this week on an Upper East Side street that would've had a bike lane had it not been for a group of angry residents that included Woody Allen. A 28-year-old Yorkville woman riding a Citi Bike was fatally hit by a truck driver on 85th Street between Madison and Park on Tuesday. Back in 2016, Allen argued publicly that a bike lane on the street couldn't be installed "gracefully," and the plan got squashed. ([Patch]( A member of the MTA's six-person panel tasked with setting congestion pricing fees said exemptions are unlikely. "Exemptions are, in general, a bad thing because it lets everybody game the system," said Kathryn Wylde, president of the business group Partnership for New York City, who suggested that nobody may get a pass when congestion tolls go into effect next year. ([NY1]( An Amtrak train is running from New York City to the Berkshires for the first time in 50 years. The Berkshire Flyer, a weekend-only train (for now) that runs over old freight lines and required no new infrastructure to get going, has proven extremely popular — and been a boon to foot traffic in downtown Pittsfield. ([The New York Times]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- And Finally: Always good to check before you grab the pole [a video of a loose pole on a subway train]( [@alex_tymchack/Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: NYC Means Business. Click here to find options to help you shop your city.]( Sponsor Message Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. 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