Landmark Lecture: Remaking Penn Station for Riders and the 22nd Century

The New York Landmarks Conservancy in partnership with The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York cordially invites you to a Landmark Lecture

Remaking Penn Station for Riders and the 22nd Century
A panel discussion with Samuel A. Turvey and Karim Ahmed, ReThink NYC; Christine Berhet, Manhattan Community Board 4’s Transportation Committee; and Dr. Robert Paaswell, Emeritus Director, City College’s University Transportation Research Center, Region II.

Moderated by Peg Breen, President of The New York Landmarks Conservancy

This will be an in-person and online lecture on Tuesday, May 21st, 6:30 pm

General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of The City of New York
20 West 44th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

IN-PERSON RSVP HERE

ONLINE RSVP HERE

Peg Breen will moderate a panel discussion on ReThinkNYC’s proposal to convert commuter rail at Penn Station – now used by its main tenants – MTA, LIRR, and NJ Transit – as a terminal facility, to the modern standard in commuter railroading – through-running.

Through-running would link New Jersey, Long Island, and Westchester seamlessly through Penn Station while originating and terminating in rail hubs on either side of the Hudson and East Rivers. As such it would address the main weakness of regional mass transit in Greater New York – its spotty connectivity.

Through-running has been embraced successfully by Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto as well as London, Paris, and a host of major world capitals. (Los Angeles is planning to follow suit.) The operating model is superior to the proposal of Amtrak and the MTA for building additional terminal tracks below 31st Street: in addition to bolstering economic growth and equity across the region through enhanced connectivity, it looks to cost substantially less than the alternative proposal and eliminates the need to demolish any of the buildings in Penn Station’s immediate vicinity.

ReThinkNYC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to applying innovative thinking to the future of New York City and its greater region. It focuses integrally on transportation infrastructure, land use, governance, and socio-economic issues. For more information on RethinkNYC, please click here.