Too lazy to copy/paste in the whole article, so here's a link:
http://secondavenuesagas.com/2015/10/13/can-we-talk-about-that-other-other-mta-problem-now/
I agree completely. The MTA's outrageously high construction costs, and also the amount of time it takes them to complete these projects, should be investigated and fixed. Take the Jubilee Line extension in London for example: it went over budget, at the equivalent of over $5 billion (£3.3 billion) for a line roughly 10 miles long and 11 stations, built in about seven years. The stations are beautiful- I think Canary Wharf was compared to a cathedral. Compare that to phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway: $4.5 billion for 2 miles of tunnel and three new stations, and it will have taken around nine years to build when it opens in 2016. When the full 8.5 mile long line opens, if that ever happens, it is predicted to have costed over $17 billion. Compare that to Crossrail, another rail project in London. Admittedly, construction will have costed in the twenty billions when it is complete. However, it'll be almost twice as long as the Second Avenue Line at around 21 km, and will have only taken about 10 years to build.
I understand that they have to build around more stuff and under a city with some much taller buildings, but nonetheless, this doesn't justify such a ridiculous cost difference. Something needs to be done to allow the subway to expand at reasonable costs in a reasonable amount of time. Subways are the lifeblood of New York City and the best way to get around, and it'll cripple our region's continued growth if our transit system can't grow with us.
http://secondavenuesagas.com/2015/10/13/can-we-talk-about-that-other-other-mta-problem-now/
I agree completely. The MTA's outrageously high construction costs, and also the amount of time it takes them to complete these projects, should be investigated and fixed. Take the Jubilee Line extension in London for example: it went over budget, at the equivalent of over $5 billion (£3.3 billion) for a line roughly 10 miles long and 11 stations, built in about seven years. The stations are beautiful- I think Canary Wharf was compared to a cathedral. Compare that to phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway: $4.5 billion for 2 miles of tunnel and three new stations, and it will have taken around nine years to build when it opens in 2016. When the full 8.5 mile long line opens, if that ever happens, it is predicted to have costed over $17 billion. Compare that to Crossrail, another rail project in London. Admittedly, construction will have costed in the twenty billions when it is complete. However, it'll be almost twice as long as the Second Avenue Line at around 21 km, and will have only taken about 10 years to build.
I understand that they have to build around more stuff and under a city with some much taller buildings, but nonetheless, this doesn't justify such a ridiculous cost difference. Something needs to be done to allow the subway to expand at reasonable costs in a reasonable amount of time. Subways are the lifeblood of New York City and the best way to get around, and it'll cripple our region's continued growth if our transit system can't grow with us.