Penn Station To Get New Entrance In Station Overhaul, Cuomo Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — When the state finishes its transformation of the decrepit Penn Station the nation's busiest transit hub will feature a new entrance with direct access to both commuter rail and the city subway, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.

Penn Station's new entrance will be located on the corner of West 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue, which will also become home to a pedestrian plaza, Cuomo said Thursday. The announcement was made during a press conference to tout "major milestones" in the construction of a new train hall in the old James A. Farley post office building on Eighth Avenue.

"For years there has been talk about transforming Penn Station, but no action, forcing New York's commuters and visitors to endure congested and potentially unsafe conditions for far too long," Cuomo said in a statement. "The projects currently underway, including a new, state-of-the-art entrance, will not only turn Penn Station into a world-class transit hub, but they will ease the flow for riders and improve the overall passenger experience for all who pass through."

The new entrance at Penn Station is expected to improve "visibility, safety and circulation" for an estimated tens of thousands of Long Island Rail Road passengers per day, according to a state press release. Other planned improvements to the commuter rail line include widening the concourse from 30 feet to 57 feet, raised ceilings, improved lighting and additional dining and retail space. The Moynihan Train Hall will also provide Ninth Avenue access to the station for the first time.

The structure of the elaborate skylight that will be the centerpiece of the new Moynihan Train Hall has been completed, Cuomo said. The new transit facility is expected to be complete in 2020 with improvements to the Long Island Rail Road opening in 2022, Cuomo said.

Cynthia Nixon — Cuomo's opponent in the upcoming Democratic gubernatorial primary — panned the governor's Thursday announcement as a headline grab and criticized the governor for the MTA's poor service.

“While new entrances and color coordinated tiles and countdown clocks are all nice - the Governor has failed to place a real priority on the terrible quality of service," Nixon said in a statement. "The Governor has shown time and time again that he has no interest in taking responsibility for the LIRR and MTA, and instead prefers elaborate photo opportunities to generate headlines."

Work to transform the James A. Farley post office building into the Moynihan Train Hall began in August 2017. The project is expected to cost $1.6 billion and is being funded by "$550 million from the State, $420 million from Amtrak, the MTA, the Port Authority and a federal grant, and $630 million from the joint venture developers," according to a state press release.

The site will be named after late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Photos/renderings courtesy New York State Governor's office