bajarneb

bajarneb t1_j7jzztx wrote

An earlier part of the article provides some context you might have missed:

“So far, the MTA has built just the first leg through the Upper East Side and spent $4.5 billion in the process.

Three quarters of that, $3.8 billion was spent on the design, engineering and construction of the tunnel: $655 million went to consultants and outside firms; just $378 million was spent boring the tunnel itself from 63rd Street to 96th Street”

Total was $4.5b. The $655m that went to consultants and outside firms is part of that amount, not the $3.8b. Tough to say exactly what we got from that, but it’s worth investigating why we’re spending double the normal rate when the MTA is calling for faire hikes, congestion pricing, service reductions, etc. If we could have cut that amount in half to the normal rate, what else could have been done to improve the system?

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