Don’t expect better NJ Transit commutes at Penn

Plus: A question about G train transfers [View this email in a browser.]( [On The Way - from WNYC and Gothamist]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( Inside today's newsletter: - Why won't the MTA offer free transfers from the G line to other trains? - How getting to the Rockaways via subway just got easier - When the first MTA chair got a big raise Don’t hold your breath for better NJ Transit commutes at Penn By [Stephen Nessen]( and [Clayton Guse]( NJ Transit and Amtrak riders who have [faced hellish delays in and out of Penn Station]( in recent weeks were promised the agencies would do a better job working together going forward. We have bad news: a real fix isn’t likely coming until the late 2030s. That’s because officials in New York and New Jersey expect it will take at least 11 years to construct a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River. Once that’s done, they’ll fix the 114-year-old tubes, which are becoming increasingly unreliable. The project overseen by the bi-state Gateway Development Commission is on the verge of receiving a huge $6.88 billion federal grant, which is the largest ever given to a transit construction project. That’s not even half the total price tag for the project, which is $16 billion. But as Gateway officials tout the latest milestone, train service is deteriorating. Late last month, NJ Transit attributed meltdowns at Penn Station that affected tens of thousands of commuters late to [problems with overhead electrical wires in the mile-long tunnel]( which is owned by Amtrak. Amtrak, for its part, said many of the issues were caused by faulty equipment atop NJ Transit’s aging fleet of trains. “It would stink if I had to wait four or five hours for a delay, but it is what it is, I mean [the delays] can only go so far.” - Cameron Manning, a remarkably zen commuter on [HIS DELAYED TRAIN OUT OF PENN STATION LAST MONTH]( Officials from both agencies last week [agreed to perform]( more inspections to prevent the issues from futher disrupting commutes. But that work is just a band aid in the tunnel, which was damaged in 2012 by Hurricane Sandy. The Regional Plan Association has warned it’s at risk of failing. The Gateway Development Commission has said it can’t repair the existing tunnel (which has two tubes), until the new one is built. That’s despite a 2020 [consultant report](chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ published by the agency that found the old tunnel could be repaired on nights and weekends without fully shutting it down — similar to how the MTA fixed the L train tunnel. That led critics — including [the Daily News editorial board]( — to allege Gateway officials were putting off the fixes to justify the historic federal funding for the project, which is the most expensive public works project in the country. Gateway spokesperson Steve Sigmund said the commission disagrees with that assessment — and that he couldn’t “answer the hypothetical of what happens if the existing tubes need to be shut down prior to the new tunnel opening.” In the meantime, commuters will have to rely on the two transit agencies making good on their pledge to work together to keep the tunnel in working order, until there’s a new one. Curious commuter Have a question for us? [Use this form]( to submit yours and we may answer it in a future newsletter! “Why won't the MTA implement free out-of-station street transfers from the G-train to nearby lines?” - Anya, from Brooklyn MTA spokesperson Mike Cortez said customers do get a free out-of-system transfer between the G at Broadway to the J/M/Z lines at the Hewes Street and Lorimer Street stations. Despite [the “summer of pain” on the G train]( transferring between the Fulton Street station and the nine subway lines that run through Atlantic Terminal will still cost money. The On The Way team suggested he could "be a hero" and offer riders a free transfer, but he declined to take us up on the suggestion. Curious Commuter questions are exclusive for On The Way newsletter subscribers. Did a friend forward this to you? [Sign up for free here]( to start asking your questions. What New York is reading this week - Planning to leave New York City for the 4th of July? It might already be too late to beat the traffic. Today at 2 p.m. is probably the worst time to hit the road, says “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz. [Read more](. - State lawmakers are considering reducing the $15 base fare for congestion pricing in order to convince Gov. Kathy Hochul to unfreeze the program — but experts say that could be moot if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House and kills the tolls. [Read more](. - The Rockaway Park Shuttle is extending its service during weekends this summer, allowing New Yorkers to connect to the beach-bound toot scoot at the Rockaway Boulevard station instead of Broad Channel. [Read more](. - Dozens of protesters marched through Midtown last Saturday to mark what would’ve been the eve of congestion pricing’s start. [Read more](. - The next day, Gov. Hochul showed up to the Pride March in an MTA T-shirt, which some congestion pricing advocates found a little distasteful considering the circumstances. [Read more](. - MTA employees this week were handing out pamphlets to G train riders with information about shuttle buses and alternative routes while the train line is under construction this summer. Not everyone was happy. [Read more](. - Under the city’s new budget deal, 1 million lower-income New Yorkers are now eligible for half-priced MetroCards through the Fair Fares program. [Read more](. - Traffic deaths jumped by roughly 25% statewide in the period between 2019 and 2022, according to a new report from New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. [Read more](. This week in NYC transit history [William Ronan cutting a ribbon] Courtesy of New York Transit Museum First MTA chair gets a big raise The MTA was founded in March of 1968 — and it only took three months for its first chairman to give himself a big raise. [William Ronan]( ruffled feathers around July 4 of that year when it emerged the MTA board approved raising his annual salary from $45,000 to $70,000. Several newspapers began referring to Ronan as the “$70,000-a-year man,” noting he made more than nearly any other public official in New York. As this column [pointed out earlier this year]( that set a precedent: the current MTA chair Janno Lieber made $400,999 last year, which is slightly higher than President Joe Biden’s salary. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [YouTube]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.