Less Extension Than People Mover To Nowhere (Yet!)

The Daily News’ Adam Lisberg (who has taken an interest in this story) reminds us that while yes, the $2.1 billion one-stop 7 train extension will be “on budget,” it’s only because the project has been stripped down to its barest essentials:

Does Bloomberg want to land a $2.1 billion project on budget no matter what? Does he not want to get behind a crusade unlikely to succeed? Does he truly believe $500 million would be better spent elsewhere?

Don’t answer that last question . . .

The 7 train extension was always about making real estate more valuable, not about helping straphangers. That’s why the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is putting its scarce cash into the Second Ave. subway, not the 7 train.

Already, people are moving into new apartment buildings on 10th Ave. without a subway station. Related is building one directly above the phantom station, and leaving empty spaces for stairwells just in case.

The message is clear: The real estate industry will build on 10th Ave. without a subway, but not on 11th.

So that’s what the developers will get. Everyone else will have to live with it.