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Work on the 2nd Avenue Subway line has barely started and costs are already getting out of control. The much publicized groundbreaking, which was at least the 4th one for the perpetually-delayed line, cost the MTA $89,000. While an $89,000 groundbreaking may not make the most fiscal sense, wait until you hear what the agency actually spent the money on.
$61,000 - hiring a contractor to clean, renovate and build a stageIt's a MasterCard commercial waiting to happen! If you're wondering why the MTA needed to hire a contractor to clean and renovate, it's because they wanted to have the groundbreaking underground in the actual tunnel. While already built in the 70s, the tunnel had to be power-washed and made safe enough for all the people attending the groundbreaking.
$16,000 - lighting related costs by NYC Transit
$1,500 - 300 DVDs for groundbreaking attendees
$1,500 - 300 miniature ceremonial groundbreaking picks for attendees
$6,000 - security for event
$3,000 - audio/video installation and operation
The groundbreaking was just a drop in the bucket for the future T line, which has a $4 billion budget. Phase one of the project starts this year, is scheduled to finish in 2013, and is only for new stations at 96th, 86th and 72nd Streets and a connection to the Q at 63rd Street.
Photograph of one of the subway tunnels built in the 1970s by Satan's Laundromat
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We'll probably end up with only the "stubway" as funds dry up in the next decade.
Someone should hang for that. It is "owe" so easy to spend other peoples money! Tax dollars are found money to these beaurocrats.
The tunnel would have had to be cleaned up anyway...
The stage, security and A/V would have cost about the same above ground.
They could have done without the DVD's and souvenirs. I imagine that price is on par with any other ceremonial events in the city.
Has the NYT asked if the money was public, or from private donations? Didn't see it in the article.
Oh just auction off the lease to the project like they do with toll roads out west. Get it out of municipal hands 'cause it'll never get built.
Are you serious? The "stubway" is going to cost more than the Big Dig was originally estimated to cost. And we all know how that went.
What still perplexes me is why on earth they are starting construction uptown instead of starting downtown where there is no existing subway service. I'm still a bit confused as to why having two lines running parallel and two blocks apart is such a great idea. Couldn't we add more/longer trains to the 4/5/6 much more easily?
Or expand the current 456 line? I'm talking laterally.