$6 Billion Tunnel Approved To Bring Passengers To Macy's

For years, New Yorkers have flocked to the garden state to shop at malls without the oppressive city sales tax. New Jersey Transit is hoping to reverse that trend by running the Bergen, Main, and Pascack Valley line directly Macy's on 34th Street.

The new proposed tunnel is seen as a victory for rail riders, since it will more than double peak capacity of 41,000 riders to 86,000. At the same time, many rail commuters are dissappointed the train will not connect to the eastside or Grand Central Station. The biggest obstacle to connecting to the east side of Manhattan was not just money, but the MTA. In reality, the MTA probably didn't want the rail connection made because many passengers would no longer need to pay their $2 to ride the subway if NJ Transit connected directly to Grand Central.

We aren't entirely sure how this new tunnel will be connecting to New York, or more importantly, if the end result will be to by-pass Hoboken terminal. NJ Transit very vaguely states the tunnel will be south of the existing tunnel and run under the palisades and deep under the Hudson river. This really could mean anything.

In either case, we do think a new tunnel connection is more than needed. [We'd argue there is a need for several more tunnels]. But as of now there is still no target date for completion, so it very well may be our grandchildren who benefit from this project.