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Consents & Variances
MTA proposed Penn Station project to replace the existing concrete planters currently surrounding the site with structural bollards and vehicle arrest devices.
WHEREAS, MTA wants to replace security concrete planters with security bollards to improve security of Pennsylvania Station, and protect it from certain types of terrorist attacks, and
WHEREAS, Penn Station is a major transportation hub with 1100 pedestrians per minute at rush hour or 69,240 people entering and leaving the station in one hour, and
WHEREAS, The NYPD issued a report underscoring that the current security measures to protect Penn Station's perimeter are inadequate and vulnerability is based on loss of life and not property, and
WHEREAS, The MTA proposes to install stainless steel 36 inch high security bollards spaced 4 feet apart, to replace existing large concrete planters, and
WHEREAS, Bollards would be located on both private property (Vornado Realty, on the perimeter of 31st Street from 7th Avenue to 8th Avenue) and on City property, under the authority of the NYC Department of Transportation, at the following locations:
- 33rd Street from 7th to 8th Avenue,
- 8th Avenue from 31st to 33rd Streets,
- in front of the main entrance to Penn Station on 7th Avenue from 31st Street to 33rd Street, starting from the left upper entrance steps to the right upper entrance steps,
- the LIRR 34th Street entrance, and
WHEREAS, The bollards would be located 15 feet from the curb line on the 7th Avenue side, and
WHEREAS, The proposed location of bollards is determined in part by electrical and mechanical equipment, located underneath the sidewalk, and
WHEREAS, The MTA proposes to relocate bus stops for the M10 bus line as follows:
- make the stop on 7th Avenue between 33rd & 34th Street the new last stop,
- make the stop on 8th Avenue between 34th & 35th Street the new first stop and
- make the stop on 31st street between 7th & 8th Avenues as the layover stop, and
WHEREAS, The construction would be performed in two phases:
- First Phase: the north half of bollards would be installed, construction would be performed at night between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am, during the day & rush hours, all entrances would remain open and unrestricted,
- Second Phase: the south half of bollards would be installed, and
WHEREAS, The maintenance (repairs, stickers & graffiti removal) will be performed by Vornado Realty, Madison Square Garden, or MTA Long Island Rail Road, depending on the location of the bollard, and
WHEREAS, The budget for the bollards is $15M and is funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and
WHEREAS, The pedestrian improvement proposed by DOT and approved by CB5 (Nov 2006) will expand the curb line on the west side of 7th Avenue in front of Pennsylvania Station, between 31st and 33rd Streets by 6 feet, creating a wider pedestrian travel environment, and
WHEREAS, Community Board 5 has expressed concerns that the proposed bollards could negatively impact pedestrian traffic, particularly in front of Penn Station on 7th Avenue, but recognizes that the sidewalk enlargement will help reduce the negative impact and the proposed bollards are less intrusive than existing planters and,
WHEREAS, The seriousness of the threat to the major transportation hub outweighs the negative pedestrian traffic impact, therefore be it,
RESOLVED, That Community Board 5 recommends approval of the installation of the security bollards as proposed by MTA.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 26 in favor; 0 opposed; 2 abstaining.