Four preliminary proposals received to modernize LIRR Level of Penn Station
Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
LIRR
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) have received four design proposals from qualified engineering firms for the modernization of the LIRR’s level in Penn Station as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plans to transform the station and the historic James A. Farley Post Office into a transportation hub.
Representatives say the LIRR will work with the winning firm for six months to finalize a design-build plan so a general contractor can begin work in 2017. The MTA and the LIRR expect to announce the winning design firm before the end of the year.
“This marks another major step in Gov. Cuomo’s transformational plan to reimagine Penn Station and to change the experience for everyone using [LIRR],” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast.
Construction of the new LIRR corridor carries an estimated cost of $170 million, and representatives say the redesign includes upgrading Penn Station’s two subway stations. Several improvements are expected to be made to the subway stations on Seventh and Eighth avenues as early as 2018.
The redesign of the LIRR portions of Penn Station is intended to improve the passenger experience and circulation at the station. The plan will include nearly tripling the width of the 33rd Street Corridor, one of the busiest sections of Penn Station, as well as stretches along the station’s lower level from Seventh to Eighth Avenue.
Other planned improvements include upgraded lighting and wayfinding and digital screens to display information and modernize the passenger experience.
The majority of the corridor improvements are expected to be completed during the Train Hall’s opening, with others set for completion before then.
