There is even more to problems with new Hudson Yards No. 7 midtown Manhattan Westside subway station including broken escalators, out of service bathrooms along with water leaks from the ceiling that are even worse.
The original cost of the overall project was $2.1 billion and grew to $2.4 billion.
Neither New York City nor the MTA could find $500 million to pay for the proposed intermediate subway station to be built at 10th Avenue and 41st Street that was part of the original project.
The trick used by NYCT to complete this project within budget was to drop a portion of the original work. Deletion of this second station kept the project cost at $2.4 billion rather than $2.9 billion.
Keeping on schedule was just as bad. Construction started in 2007 with a planned completion date of December 2013.
The anticipated first opening day slipped several times from this date: first to June 2014, second to Feb. 2015, third to June 2015 and finally to Sept. 13, 2015 — 21 months late!
In the rush for final completion, you have to ask if NYCT cut corners in inspection and acceptance along with quality assurance and quality control resulting in premature opening of the station.
Did NYCT hold back release of retainage or final payment to contractors until they fix all these problems?
Commuters and taxpayers should expect no less.
There is even more bad news.
No money has been provided under the MTA’s proposed 2015 – 2019 Five Year Capital Plan for construction of the missing subway station.
Perhaps funding will be allocated under the next 2020-2024 Five Year Capital Plan.
As the years go by, construction costs for a new subway station at 41st Street and 10th Avenue will continue to grow.
Building a new subway station on an active subway line will cost far more.
You now have to provide more internal New York City Transit Force Account support. These employees have to provide flagging protection for Third Party Construction Contractors who perform work on an active 24/7 right of way.
There are also challenges for the contractors, which would not be as significant if the station was built in the same time frame as the Hudson Yards Station.
New provisions must now be made for providing access to the construction site, delivery of materials and removal of debris.
By delaying start of construction 13 or more years later to build this station, the new cost for construction could easily increase by 100 percent or more.
Don’t be surprised if the new price tag ends up closer to $1 billion versus the original $500 million.
Procrastination on the part of MTA will end up being a bad deal for both riders and taxpayers.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
(Larry Penner is a transportation historian and advocate who previously worked in the transportation field for 31 years)
