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June 19, 2009
Not even a four-burner stove: the temporary AY railyard might be more akin to an outdoor grill (but persist for years)
Atlantic Yards Report
Public benefits? Norman Oder looks at some of the ways in which Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project will shortchange the MTA — with that agency's apparent acquiescence — and the riding public.
The discussion about changes at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Vanderbilt Yard has focused on the quality of the permanent replacement yard that Forest City Ratner (FCR) is supposed to build.
But the more immediate question concerns the temporary yard, which would result in diminished capacity, perhaps lingering for years, and could leave the MTA facing some challenges in implementing its crucial East Side Access project, which would bring Long Island Rail Road trains to a new station under Grand Central Station, in a project now scheduled for completion in 2015.
To apply a metaphor used regarding the value-engineered Atlantic Yards arena, the permanent yard, which would contain seven tracks rather than the promised nine--and just might contain less storage capacity than the current formation--would be the four-burner stove.
But the temporary yard--with less capacity, no long-term guarantee, and exposure to the elements--would be more like an outdoor grill.
NoLandGrab: Like Nero, Governor Paterson is seemingly content to fiddle while Forest City Ratner burns the taxpayers.
Posted by eric at June 19, 2009 5:53 AM