Today on a popular blog about New York City on the New York Times‘ website, the history of recent public transportation projects was rehashed in light of a recent announcement on the extension of the Long Island Railroad to Grand Central Terminal. Every single project, from this project to the longest standing joke in New York City, the 2nd Avenue subway, had one thing in common: They consistently run over budget and behind schedule.
Tucked in the end of the post the Times’ Clyde Haberman lists the trans-Hudson rail tunnel as one of the projects that has faced a “construction delay.” What was the delay? There was none. The project has been nixed because New Jersey Governor Chris Christie refused to fund a project that he believed would run over budget and behind schedule. Christie explained that even according to the most recent cost projections for the project the state would be unable to pay, and given the tri-state area’s history of mismanaged public transportation construction projects, the state would go bankrupt before finding the true cost, which would inevitably come to light millions of dollars and years later. Read More
