Long Island Rail Road riders expressed amazement at the new concourse under Eighth Avenue from America's busiest train station. It opened June 15 as the first phase of the new Moynihan Station.
LIRR riders could be forgiven for thinking they were not in midtown Manhattan heading home to Long Island when they entered the new concourse to Penn Station from the James Farley Post Office Building. Khorri Atkinson reports for The New York Times:
“I’m feeling like I’m in another country,” said Fiona Germain, who lives on Long Island, as she stood in the new Long Island Rail Road concourse inside the James A. Farley Post Office Building across the street from Pennsylvania Station. “When I travel to Europe, the stations are very clean. This kind of looks like it versus what we had, which was so beat-up and ugly.”
The new railroad concourse, which officially opened at 6 a.m. Thursday in the post office building on the intersection of Eighth Avenue and West 33rd Street [sic]* is the first phase of the Moynihan Station, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2020. The train hall will eventually also serve Amtrak riders.
It was back to reality when commuters entered the station and boarded their trains.....they were still in N.Y.
If Moynihan Station, technically called Moynihan Train Hall according to the official unveiling of plans by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) last September (posted here) is anything like the new West End Concourse, the planning and architecture critics will be proved wrong, at least from the train riders' perspective.
*Recommended: Watch the video in NY1 article on the new concourse and/or view photo gallery in an article on the opening of the concourse by Dana Schulz in 6sqft. A caption under a photo of the Farley Post Office indicates the location is 31st Street and 8th Avenue.
FULL STORY: In New L.I.R.R. Concourse, Commuters Can’t Quite Forget Transit Woes
Early Criticism for Gov. Cuomo's Penn Station Plans
The initial reviews are in for Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposal to expand and improve Penn Station. The consensus so far: the plan doesn't go far enough.
New York Has Plan to Make Room for Penn Station Renovations
With more than 600,000 daily commuters passing through, Penn Station is one of the busiest transit halls in the Western Hemisphere. Finally, there's a plan in place to make necessary repairs without making the commute even more unbearable.
Formidable Barriers Threaten Penn Station Renovation
Last month N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed that Empire Station replace Penn Station, but many challenging parts, e.g., the Hudson River Tunnels, moving Madison Square Garden, could derail it. A related piece delves into the prior ARC tunnel project.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)