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Originally Posted by mrnyc
^ totally agree. you have to look at projects like that and who they serve and really make a big, public point to ensure its for the greatest good for the expense.
there is a very good recent example though that comes to mind. the redevelopment and reopening of the highbridge between wash hts and the bx. of course it already existed, but it needed a modern rehab to reopen it — and that was done very well. i walked it often after work in pre covid days so can confirm.
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I was about to write about the Harlem River being another narrow waterway, though it is a much different waterway than the Chicago River or Bronx Kill. Much of the Harlem River cuts through highlands, which I believe to be a bit harder to connect smoothly. Plus, the lowland areas of both the Bronx and Manhattan are occupied by highways.
I would love to visit the High Bridge one day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrnyc
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Ironically, now is the absolute best time to expedite any large projects to improve the subway system.
If officials do not believe ridership will ever reach numbers similar to peak ridership this year, then they can rightfully cancel all further projects and not fund them until the time is right.
But if they believe ridership will come back at or beyond peak levels, then the MTA will likely never an opportunity, like there is right now, to commit to expedited wholesale retrofits and improvements to the aging system. I foresee greater investment in infrastructure as a way to boost the devastated economy.
Now I'm thinking out loud. Why do the MTA and other government agencies contract out all their design and construction work? I can think of two reasons:
- Liability, as in the MTA's desire to eliminate as much of it as possible and lay it on another entity.
- It's harder to fire and furlough people from the public sector, especially if they have permanent tenure status. The MTA would rather not deal with the headache of hiring and laying off a bunch of designers and construction people. I don't know if the current union contracts would even allow them lay off people. Or, if layoffs are possible, the MTA would be forced to pay out massive compensation packages.
I do wonder if it's possible for the MTA to contract entire companies, their management, and their workforce for a set time to work under the direct MTA hierarchy? Right now, the typical design-bid-build contract has a lengthy design and review period, a bidding period, and then a construction period. Perhaps it could drastically cut time (and maybe costs) if the contractors are basically working under the MTA directly, and could therefore cut out the back-and-forth waiting and communications BS.
Of course, this is merely a pipe dream at the moment.