Representative Vito Fossella (left), a Republican from Staten Island, said that he'll "derail" plans for the Second Avenue Subway unless Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D, below right) helps push through plans to build a new South Ferry subway station, a plan Silver opposes since it would affect a temporary September 11 memorial and disrupt parts of Battery Park. Fossella says, "I will withdraw my objection to funding the Second Ave. subway line only when those blocking the South Ferry station put an end to their obstructionism," and that he has influential members of Congress on his side; Silver, as you can imagine, is annoyed that Fossella is not helping NYC "come together."
The Second Avenue Subway is a $16 billion project, with the first $3.8 billion phase hopefully starting at the end of this year. A new South Ferry station's costs are $400 million; the MTA hopes for this project to start by the end of this year as well. What Gothamist finds interesting is that Sheldon Silver opposed the Second Avenue Subway when Giuliani proposed it. We also like how the Daily News described Silver's issue with a new South Ferry project as a "beef," and in the spirit of that, we say Fossella and Silver work out the issue like grown men: Either over darts, arm wrestling, or a drinking contest.
Gothamist on the Second Avenue Subway.
