Proposed Penn South Rail Tunnel Would Demolish An Entire City Block

Projections say that commuter traffic between New York and New Jersey will double in the next twenty years, and Penn Station is already at capacity. After New Jersey governor Chris Christie nixed the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) tunnel last year, Amtrak was left scrambling for a new solution to accommodate travelers. Ta-daaaaa. The $13.5 billion Gateway Project.

In order to pull this off, Amtrak would need to raze an entire Midtown block between 30th & 31st Streets and 7th & 8th Avenues. “Penn South” residents like the Blarney Stone, Harrington’s and the Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist are likely just a little put off by this grand plan, not to mention the havoc it would wreak on Madison Square Garden traffic.

We’re still a ways from this notion becoming reality, but if commuter traffic is going to double in 20 years, we’re a bit behind the 8 ball. Public hearings for the Second Avenue Subway–a project about a third the size of this one– started in 2003, and it’s not expected to be completed until 2018.

Source: The Real Deal

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