I Lost That Bet

I mentioned a while back my prediction for the first cancellation in the MTA's current round of megaprojects (The 7 train's westward expansion). It appears I was wrong. The Fulton Street transit complex will likely never see the light of day--at least not through a giant domed glass roof.

Today is an auspicious day for urban transportation in New York for another reason, as in a mere two hours the findings of the Congestion Pricing Commission will be made public (3pm Eastern). Today also saw representatives from four Democratic presidential campaigns speak at an event hosted by the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management at NYU. This was not a partisan event--the Republican candidates were invited with equal cordiality--but the "Republican Candidates" nameplate sat silently nonetheless in front of an empty panel chair while the four Democrats--representing Sen. Clinton, Sen. Obama, Sen. Gravel and Rep. Kucinich, who is still on the ballot in New York State--spoke at length about transportation and infrastructure issues that the coming administration must inevitably face.

More extensive reactions to the panelists will be posted soon, but I will say that the only campaign representative to mention the word "Amtrak" was speaking on behalf of Barack Obama.