Bruno Pretends to Care About Intercity Rail

by: Roatti

Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 11:42:25 AM EDT

While these improvements are certainly needed, acting as if $22 million is some significant amount almost causes more harm than the good these monies create- creating a first-rate intercity high-speed rail infrastructure in NYS will cost in the tens of billions of dollars- acting like $22 million is significant just makes the potential larger and necessary appropriations look that much more burdensome and scary to legislators. 

If we are ever going to get serious about intercity rail in New York, the back-patting for miniscule amounts of pork has to stop.

* Albany-Rensselaer Station ($11 million) -- Adds a fourth track with
related signal work at the Rensselaer Station to increase capacity,
flexibility and reduce congestion. In addition, exiting platforms and
canopies will be extended. These projects will also involve the demolition
of an existing building.

* Hudson Station ($6 million) -- Makes improvements to the Hudson
Station that would allow passenger and freight trains to continue through
without slowing down or stopping while a train is in the station.

* Rock Slope Stabilization ($4 million) -- Stabilizes the rock slope
on a section under the George Washington Bridge into Penn Station where the
rock slope is unstable. Currently, Amtrak is under a "slow order" in that
section which would be lifted as a result of the stabilization, improving
safety and increasing train speed.

* Approximately $1 million of the $22 million will be allocated
pending the final approval of individual project scopes.