In light of the $10 billion Port Authority Bus Terminal proposal (!) I want to run down some recent/current/near future NYC-area transportation projects and their costs, because this shit is just absurd.

East Side Access (construction): $11B
PA Bus Terminal (proposed): $10B
Second Ave Subway phase 1 (done): $4.5B
" " " phase 2 (proposed): $6B
LIRR Third Track (done): $2.6B
Moynihan Train Hall (done): $1.6B
LGA Airtrain (proposed): $2B

TOTAL: $37.7B

Would this get anywhere near 38B in bang for 38B in bucks? I don't see it. The transit landscape of the city would be virtually unchanged. Only the commuter rails/bus would have significantly higher capacity (ironically just as it is less clear than ever they'll need it).

It's a bad mix of hyper-expensive projects relative to the benefits and questionable project selection overall. Spending $40 billion on NYC Metro transit infrastructure is good. But you better have a hell of a lot to show for it. All I see are monuments to Cuomo's hubris.

I love buses. They're a huge, untapped potential especially as they get electrified for greener transportation. But the *whole point* of buses is they're a way better bang for the buck than trains in infrastructure costs. Spending $10 billion on a new bus terminal is cringe.

It is just fucking crazy that the NYC Metro area is spending almost $40 billion in transportation infrastructure and is not getting ONE new subway stop more than like three blocks from an existing one.