Penn Station: Overhaul and unification of the rail network
Paula Cazarez, Dennis Chen, and Juan Salazar
The Grove School of Engineering, The City College of New York
ENGL 21007: Writing for Engineering
Professor Brown
11/17/2020
Penn Station
Overhaul and unification of the rail network
Summary:
Penn Station has become known for being one of the worst places in New York. One of
the busiest railroad stations in the United States, Penn Station is the main inner-city railroad station
in New York and has become a focal point for serving more than 600,000 passengers per weekday.
It has become an unappealing and congested underground complex. Changes need to be made so
that everything can run smoothly with commuting. Focusing on reducing congestion within the
complex and improving it with the capacity and ability to serve the growing number of commuters,
with a proposed budget of $1.6 billion, we plan to renovate the entire complex focusing on the
Moynihan Train Hall. The purpose is to expand the footprint of the railroad station due to the
limitations set by the MSG (Madison Square Garden) above and to unify the entire complex
allowing for more natural daylight and room for the massive number of commuters that go in and
out every day. The development of the Moynihan Train Hall will be developed by the developer-builder team of Related Companies, Vornado Realty LP, and Skanska USA. The three have put up
$630 million towards the construction of this project.
Introduction:
The issue with the current Penn Station is that the space is very limited and disorganized
for a place that is supposed to control and direct hundreds of thousands of commuters every day.
Delays and issues that occur are not uncommon and are most certainly related to how confusing
and overcrowded the current layout is. The number of commuters that go through this station has
increased dramatically over the decades and is not something that was anticipated by the station’s
architects. This is why there is a strong emphasis on improving the pedestrian conditions like the
waiting areas, which will typically be overcrowded causing a lot of confusion and congestion.
There is a lack of circulation as well since the concourse and platform levels are very narrow, the
space at the current Penn Station is not enough for the amount of ridership that occurs which is
why the Moynihan building will be crucial for expanding the footprint and free up valuable space
at the existing station. In other words, the main issue that we hope to solve is the overcrowded
waiting areas and the confusion that causes many commuters to get lost due to the layout of the
concourse level to the tracks. We hope to accomplish this with the addition of the Moynihan
building which would allow a direct connection to the Eighth Avenue subway and an entirely new
middle-block entrance to Ninth Avenue. This would free up a lot of space in the cramped Penn
Station as well as making the Moynihan building a better waiting area for their commute as there
would be an entire “700,000 square feet of commercial, retail, and dining venues inside the
transformed Farley building.” instead of the narrow and cramped spaces in the current station.
With this expansion, the new building can solve issues currently present like the need for natural
lighting, relieves the congestion in the current waiting areas, and convenient access to the train
platforms from the Farley building.
Project Description:
The addition and transformation of the Farley Building into the Moynihan train hall is
feasible. Nothing is being changed with the current footprint of the Penn Station, the concourse
and platform level will remain how it is already. It would also be difficult to do so with the current
Madison Square Garden being right above the station because it restricts natural lighting and air
into the station. The focus would just be on spreading out the amount of congestion by expanding
the station with a whole new space that will become the main waiting area as the current ones in
the station lack basic amenities. The benefits of implementing this would-be immediate relief to
the congestion, the passenger experience would be better and more appropriate for a station so
popular. Additionally, it would allow for more entrances and escalators which are different ways
that would take the commuter to the platforms without overcrowding. The consequences of not
implementing and expanding the station would mean the station would continue to be congested
and uninviting to the commuters that commute daily. Potential issues could be the timeframe of a
project like this, it could take much longer than anticipated due to the number of resources needed
to create and renovate the Farley building. Another issue could be having several developer teams
working on the project, one team could have completely constructed their part already, but another
may have delays which would mess with the budget.
1) Train Stations
• The subway lines serving the station are as follows: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3. Instead of closing the
entire train line in the station, only one lane will be closed off to commuters. To clarify, an
example could be the 1 train. Instead of closing both its directions, Northbound and
Southbound, one will remain open while the other is being repaired.
• Depending on when this project takes place, the season must be taken into consideration
when choosing which lane to close during renovations. For example, there may be an influx
of passengers in the summer, as compared to in the winter because of it being a time in
which tourists and families decide to visit the city or go sightseeing. However, because
there are numerous commuters, renovations would not take place every day. It would be
ideal to close the lanes and work during the weekends in order to prevent commute
congestion during the weekdays which are the busiest.
• Once one lane is fully renovated, it will reopen. Its counterpart will then close for
renovation. To clarify, if the southbound lane was chosen for renovations first, the
northbound will remain open. Once the southbound lane is completed in renovations, it
will reopen, and the northbound lane will then close for renovations.
2) Lights
Will all be changed to provide better lighting on all train line platforms. The lights will be upgraded
to LED lights. These types of lights have a longer life, are more energy efficient, brighter and
intense, and good color range. LED lights have advantages that preferrable for underground areas,
as they provide higher quality lighting at a lower cost.
• Screens: Electronic screens that display the train arrivals and departures will be placed at
the center of train waiting platforms. Because the platforms are long, there will be 4 of
these individual screens on each platform. These screens will be double sided to reveal
arrivals and departures no matter where someone stands.
• Signs: There can be 2 main billboards that display the train map. On its opposite side can
be a map of Penn Station itself and can reveal where that specific location/train line is
located.
• Speakers: Speakers on train lines and for Amtrak can be fully replaced with louder
speakers that will allow more clarity.
3) Amtrak
• Accessibility will be repaired and/or improved to allow a better flow of movement between
commuters. Stairs, elevators, and escalators will be taken into consideration.
• Stairs will be the first to be renovated with new hand railings and stair treads to decrease
the risk of someone falling or slipping.
• Escalators will be repaired if possible, if not, they will be entirely replaced.
• Elevators will be added on train lines that are missing accessibility.
Budget:
The budget for this project of adding the Moynihan building to the current Penn Station is
approximately $1.6 billion, depending on the agency and how they plan to use the completed
station. The individual agencies that renovated the Farley building can lease the space as well. The
funding will come from different sources; $550 million from the State, $420 million from Amtrak,
the MTA, the Port Authority and federal grant, and $630 million from joint venture developers.
Conclusion:
Many who have been to Penn Station experienced a very hostile environment for commutes. The
location is not properly ventilated, dark, dingy, and plain simply just ugly. Pipework is visible to
the public and the station does not have a pleasant smell. For what Penn Station is, the busiest
station in the United States, changes must be made. With the implementation of the Moynihan
building, it is one of the key factors in alleviating the many issues that exist in the current Penn
Station. It will reduce the congestion that occurs in the station during rush hour and free up valuable
space in the waiting areas that can be used for pedestrians to help with the confusion too. In
addition, the building will serve as a connector between several new entrances to the station so
that pedestrian access to the platforms is more accessible which would help with the overcrowding
situation as well. The final result would unify the station complex with modern amenities and entry
points that would allow it to handle and serve the massive number of daily commuters.
References:
Gov. Cuomo’s renovation plan for NYC’S Penn Station takes shape. (n.d.). Retrieved November
05, 2020, from https://archinect.com/news/article/150177351/gov-cuomo-s-renovationplan-for-nyc-s-penn-stati on-takes-shape
Hawkins, A. (2016, February 28). Inside America’s worst train station. Retrieved November 05,
2020, from https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/28/11126546/penn-station-worst-train-lirramtrak-nj-transit
Labine, C. (2019, April 17). Rebuild Penn Station: A Visionary New Plan. Retrieved November
01, 2020, from https://www.traditionalbuilding.com/features/rebuilding-mckims-pennstation-2
Miller, H. (2020, October 15). Baltimore Penn Station redevelopment aims to enhance
experience for modern passengers. Retrieved November 1, 2020, from
https://www.baltimoresun.com/business/real-estate/bs-bz-baltimore-penn-stationredevelopment- 20201015-xghwpr3ul5hrxpdknb7k2jwjbe-story.html
Rpa. (2020, November 03). Expand, overhaul, and unify the Penn Station Complex. Retrieved
November 04, 2020, from http://fourthplan.org/action/penn-station
Young, M. (2019, November 15). Renovation in Penn Station Reveals Elements from
Demolished 1910 Station. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from
https://untappedcities.com/2019/08/14/renovation-in-penn-station-reveals-original-1910-
station-i nfrastructure/