Another Crucial NYC Rail Link Gets Delayed

Champions of an ambitious ongoing project to provide a rail link for Long Island Rail Road trains to the East Side of Manhattan got a dose of bad news this week, as it was announced the project is facing significant delays and cost overruns.

2 minute read

May 22, 2012, 10:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The past couple of years have seen a flood of bad news for efforts to better integrate New York City's rail hubs with regional commuters and intercity passengers. A year and a half ago, Chris Christie, the newly elected governor of New Jersey, terminated plans to build a desperately needed second rail tunnel underneath the Hudson River. Now comes news that the East Side Access project, which tunnels underneath the East River, is facing a new round of delays and rising cost estimates, reports Colin Moynihan.

"Creating a Long Island Rail Road
link to the East Side of Manhattan will take six years longer to
accomplish than originally expected and will cost nearly $2 billion more
than the initial estimate, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
officials said Monday."

"The new completion date for the project is August 2019, and officials
put the cost at $8.24 billion, up from an estimate of $6.3 billion in
2006. The 2006 estimate came after $2.6 billion in federal financing for
the ambitious project was announced, and transportation officials said
then that they thought the project would be finished by the end of 2013."

Authorities blamed technical challenges and complication from unrelated projects for the delays.

"The East Side Access project requires the construction of new tunnels,
which will be dug beneath the existing tracks in Sunnyside and then
emerge nearby. Authority officials said the profusion of existing
railroad equipment in that area and the sandy soil beneath the network
of tracks had slowed the project."  

 

Monday, May 21, 2012 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today