In New York's Next Penn Station, Function Does Not Always Follow Form

Some of the time and money invested in the visually spectacular Moynihan Station should have been spent looking at how well it actually works for commuters, writes Alon Levy.

3 minute read

January 11, 2018, 6:00 AM PST

By Katharine Jose


Moynihan Train Hall

SOM / Flickr

At CityLab, Alon Levy writes that while New York City’s new Moynihan Station will be a vast aesthetic improvement on the old Penn Station, “[m]ost of the project’s budget prioritizes the station’s form while not addressing the problems with its function.”

Penn Station is arguably the least likeable major transit station in the world, and less arguably the most hated transit station in New York City. In the 1960s a majestic Beaux Arts building was torn down and replaced with a warren of uninspiring and confusing tunnels unceremoniously topped with Madison Square Garden.

Much has been written about the demise of the first Penn Station and the faults of the second; the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, for whom the third Penn Station will be named, began working on the idea of co-opting the adjacent Farley Post Office—another Beaux Arts building—in the early 1990s.

The first phase of the new station opened last summer to widespread enthusiasm, and construction on the second began soon after.

The problem, according to Levy, is that delight over creating a beautiful space has meant that the more basic tenets of good transportation design have been sidelined.

“A station’s form should follow this function. The grandeur of old stations often responded to the functional needs of the steam era and was not just artistic: For example, soaring waiting rooms separate from the station tracks made sense when steam locomotives were belching smoke. In the modern era, the concerns are different.”

In the modern era, more than half a million people pass through Penn Station every day via three major regional transportation entities—the Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak—in addition to numerous lines of the New York City Subway.

“A train station’s primary function,” Levy writes, “certainly in New York, is to get passengers between the train and the subway as fast as possible.”

No one has ever argued that Penn Station does a terrific job, but Levy thinks Moynihan doesn't do any better,

“Penn Station’s worst design problem above the track level is that each of the station’s three users—Amtrak, the LIRR, and NJT—treats its part of the station as its own fief. The LIRR has the lower concourse, where ticket machines sell only LIRR tickets and the information screens show no information about Amtrak or NJT trains. Amtrak and NJT use the upper concourse, each with its own ticket offices and information screens.”

“Moynihan Station,” Levy writes, “makes this problem worse by moving Amtrak and LIRR to a completely separate headhouse, even farther from NJT.”

Levy suggests that integrated ticketing and information screens, an extended LIRR concourse and—perhaps the most basic improvement over the current Penn Station—timeliness, would make a significant, if less spectacular, difference to travelers.

“None of these investments would create a monumental train hall like Phase 2 of Moynihan Station, but they’d have tangible benefits. If form follows function, then these, and not a new building, should have the most positive effect for users of Penn Station.”

Thursday, January 4, 2018 in CityLab

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18, 2024 - Beverly Press

Amtrak train passing over tall trestle bridge on California coast at Gaviota Beach.

LA-to-San Francisco Night Train Closer to Reality

A train operator has entered into formal negotiations with Union Pacific to move the project forward with a projected launch date of 2025.

March 27 - SFGate

Major League Baseball Stadium

Lawsuit Aims to Stop Dodger Stadium Gondola

A proposed aerial tram project that would shuttle visitors to L.A.’s Dodger Stadium faces backlash from environmental and community groups.

March 27 - Los Angeles Times

ROwn of grey and white townhomes with gabled roofs and front porches.

Why Parking Reform Goes Hand in Hand With More Housing

To achieve the full benefits of ‘missing middle housing’ and make way for small-lot construction, cities must rethink parking mandates.

March 27 - Sightline

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.