Stephen Jacob Smith examines how high emotions, grand designs, poor negotiating, and "extreme politicization" drove the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to build the world's most expensive train station in Lower Manhattan.
The Port Authority has been very good at one thing in the last decade: spending money.
"One World Trade Center, born the Freedom Tower and taken over by the Port in 2006, will be the most expensive office building in the world. The 'Vehicle Security Center,' an underground tour bus garage and road network serving the World Trade Center complex, may very well be the most expensive parking garage in history," notes Smith.
"And then there’s the PATH station to New Jersey, the most troubled project at one of the world’s most troubled construction sites. At $3.74 billion, plus another $200 million in contingencies, the 'Transportation Hub' at the World Trade Center—not even the busiest station in the Financial District—will be far and away the most expensive train station built in modern history."
"When the grandiose ambitions and the emotions of 9/11 met with the famously flush Port Authority, disaster struck," says Smith. "Mission creep, an inattentive governor and extreme politicization sent costs skyward, eventually outstripping even the record-setting resources devoted to it."
FULL STORY: PATH/Fail: The Story of the World’s Most Expensive Train Station
NYC Secures Funding for Midtown Bus Terminal Replacement
The aging Manhattan transit terminal, the world’s busiest, will receive a $10 billion revamp and expansion.
Historic Fresno Train Depot Will Become Part of HSR Station
The 150-year-old building will see new life as a retail space as part of a flurry of new development along the upcoming high-speed rail line.
Groups File Suit Over Penn Station Redevelopment
A coalition of community groups claims that current plans are designed to benefit developers and don’t guarantee improvements for transit riders.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie