La Guardia Airport to Be Rebuilt by 2021, Cuomo and Biden Say

[Simfan34]

I won't believe it until I see it.

Of course they're going to shower money on La Guardia, and leave Penn Station (which receives more travelers than all three metro airports COMBINED) and a desperately-needed new pair of tunnels under the Hudson to rot.

Thanks, Cuomo.  And as for you, Biden, I'd have expected better.  Sigh.

I hate Penn and those narrow, squat platforms as much as the next guy, but what can one really do while there's an arena sitting on top of it? They were going to build a new pair of tunnels until Christie cancelled them, and there is the (greatly-downsized) Moynihan Station plan.

But $4 billion? That's two and a half times cheaper than what they're saying the Port Authority replacement will cost. The Port Authority! A bus station!

Either way, sh--ty infrastructure getting fixed is sh--ty infrastructure getting fixed. Here are some pictures:


LaGuardia Renderings by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr


LaGuardia Renderings by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr


LaGuardia Renderings by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr


LaGuardia Renderings by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr


LaGuardia Renderings by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr


LaGuardia Renderings by governorandrewcuomo, on Flickr

[Simfan34]

There are also plans for a new $1.4 billion (lolno) terminal at Newark:



Then again I could give you lots of renders of proposals for shiny new replacements for Penn Station that aren't going to be built.

[Simfan34]

Why does it cost so much money to build in NYC?  I think it's a time that we looked at our building code, environmental regulations and the cut that the mafia gets. 

We need CATEXs. Lots of CATEXs! Otherwise we get this:

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[Simfan34]

Guess Trump will be happy. Airport standards are basically to Trump what 47% was to Romney.

What do you mean? Trump is not in charge of the airports.

[Simfan34]

Maybe just shut LaGuardia down and use the airspace/funds for increasing capacity and reliability in JFK/Newark instead?

I was going to mention this.

Also you will note that the plan apparently includes an increase in in parking capacity, but of course these pictures conveniently airbrush out the garages that would require.

Also, yes, I just noticed that! Telling. As for the 7 train extension I think this would be a far more sensible idea (if lacking in stops) but you know how far sensible ideas get in this city.

[Simfan34]

ACTUALLY, I looked very closely at the full-sized image and found the parking, which I must say is very well-integrated with the overall design, although the report seems to think they may not have enough:





I'm still concerned as to how on earth the traffic flow will work with a layout like that.

EDIT: also these renders look like the SimCity 5 I never had

[Simfan34]

Cuomo said it would be $4 billion and five years?  Ooooooops it's gonna be more like twice that, both on cost and time.

The only surprise here is that the truth is coming out so fast.

Of course it is. How is anyone surprised? In fact, I think this number is still too low. When you consider the location, the fact it is being built while the airport is supposed to remain open, all the regulatory bits they'll add on, take the new PABT as a comp, and keep in mind the fact projects are never on budget, I suspect $12-15 billion is more accurate. And it will be less exciting-looking by a similar factor. I actually think the present design looks rather... jumbled.

The previous scheme being thrown around not only seemed more attractively designed and coherent in layout (they kept the US Airways terminal), they actually seemed to have a circulation plan. Why did they get rid of it, especially when they were so far along?



Also, train, do you use the same handle on Twitter?