Next stop 34th Street: Access to the Region’s Core, a $6 billion plan to dig a two-track train tunnel between New Jersey and 34th Street is moving forward with federal transit officials expected to throw support behind the project. The feds could give as much as $3 billion. The Port Authority already committed $2 billion, New Jersey $500,000, New York $0. So, it seems pretty close. [AP via amNewYork, NY Post]
Who me? Alleged mad power saw attacker claims he doesn’t remember nearly killing a man at the W. 110th St. subway station. His victim was discharged last week but has said he is too shaken up to take the subway again anytime soon. [Daily News]
E-navigating underground: The Times compares and contrasts all the knew mass transit interactive guides found online. The big danger is none take into account the frequent service changes -- especially on weekends. HopStop, Trips123, and PublicRoutes are all examined. [NY Times]
MTA and MTA: The Manhattan Institute warns that the “unaccountable” Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, is now different than New York’s own Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Last week, a portion of Big Dig’s tunnel collapsed on 38-year-old Milena Del Valle crushing her to death.
“Of course, Kalikow hasn’t presided over an incident of spectacular negligence like the one that resulted in Del Valle’s death. But the MTA’s institutional structure is an invitation to trouble. At public authorities, “political independence” is just a synonym for a lack of accountability that’s awfully convenient for elected officials,” writes Nicole Gelinas.
She urges the governor and the mayor to be more hands-on. Remember, MTA Chair Peter Kalikow is telling everyone who will listen that he is sticking around for a while, no matter who the next gov is. (Although there is plenty of speculation that he’s just saying that so he doesn’t appear as a lame duck). [City Journal]
From Brazil to Albany to Hornell to Coney Island Rail Yards: The Albany Times-Union reports that unfinished Kawasaki-Alstom-made subway cars are manufactured in Brazil to be shipped to Albany then on to an assembly plant in Hornell, Steuben Count in Western New York before going back to Brooklyn. They could be in service as early as October. [Times-Union]
MTA attracting real rats: Downtown Express reports that MTA construction sites likes the Fulton Street Transit hub are attacking rodents and a lot of complaints. And we thought the only rats the MTA attracted were mobbed-up contractors. [Downtown Express]
-- Chuck Bennett
