Natalie Migliore, WOR Street Reporter

Mendte in the Morning sent Natalie out on the streets to get New Yorkers' opinions on President Trump allegedly wanting to rename Penn Station after him.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now it's seventen woars Beat on the Street with Natalie Migliori.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Hey, New York is getting brand new trains and a
brand new Penn Station. New Yorkers have to be happy
about that, right, Let's find out with Natalie Migliori and
her Beat on the Street.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Natalie, good morning, Larry. You know, no matter how much
you think New Yorkers would be happy with it, we
always find something to tripe about. But that's anywhere. The
US Department of Transportation is gearing up to overhaul Penn Station.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the team will start soliciting

(00:40):
design proposals with the expectation of starting construction in twenty
twenty seven. So what do people think about revamping the
transit hub that serves as Amtrak's largest station.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
I think that makes sense. I think the infrastructure and
everything that's going on, especially on this floor, needs to
be redone.

Speaker 5 (01:00):
If I could look more modern. I know we've had
to issues lately with the tracks and the switches. I
think they said so, I think the tech part, the
outside part could be more modern. I think the inside
is fine.

Speaker 6 (01:12):
Yeah, because I know they had the plan to take
the block south of here to add extended tracks for
extra capacity, which I think is absolutely needed, especially because
those tracks would mainly serve New Jersey Transit, which is
already overcrowded.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Now. The Trump administration announced it would take over the
project back in May, with Andy Beifer, who really was
in charge of overhauling the subway system and introducing OMNI
years ago, serving as a special advisor on this particular
project that will aim to completely modernize the transit hub
from what he says, top to bottom. Some writers concerned

(01:49):
with service, while others say homelessness in the station will
still be an issue.

Speaker 6 (01:55):
I definitely think the added capacity for NJ Transit would
be one hundred percent necessary because of reliability issues with
the tunnels and the bridge. Portrays themselves and planning ahead
is something that I feel like America is not very
good at when it comes to chance it infrastructure.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
I feel like they're more focused on the structure aspect
to the building more than the people aspect. You're bringing
these people, but you're gonna still have these stains on
your new structure. It's like having a new car away
burst on it. I don't know, it doesn't make sense.
To me, but it's their money. They choose what to
do with it.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Now, the Trump administration says we'll get this project going
in the next two years, with Duppy saying it's not
going to be a twenty plus year project. I think
I read somewhere they're calling it it's on Trump time.
So what do people think?

Speaker 5 (02:42):
Well, two years just seems like a long time away,
But I guess that's a whole lot better than twenty.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
I think twenty twenty seven is a good time. But
it needs to be done right away.

Speaker 6 (02:50):
We'll see.

Speaker 5 (02:50):
I don't really have that much faith in it, because
you know, saying something is one hundred percent different from
doing something. They're doing the right thing, especially with Trump.

Speaker 6 (02:58):
Definitely a lot of it might be to save face,
which is the only thing I have a little bit
of reservation about because okay, earlier start date, but also
we're gonna defund all these other things and not approve
the funding for the second bridge or the second tunnel
or whatever the case is. I think it's just very
important to pitch it to the key details because they'll
try to do some flash flights over here and then
do some siding things on the other side.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Now the big question which was circulating when the Dot
first took over, how does Trump's station instead of ten
Station down to those traveling through.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
I'm severely already over the fact that this man is
trying to make everything an ego project, which was my
entire concern to be gained with Cook.

Speaker 5 (03:40):
I actually got it done within two years before he's
out of office. I mean, I guess, so then you
name it what you want, but I won't hold my breath.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
I don't think that's a good name. And that's all
I'll say. I think Pen Station is iconic, and I
think that we should leave it as Pen Station.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
It's if it's his money, do it.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
I can't.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
I can't slove that.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
It's just then yet another thing he's going to attack
his name onto. There you have it. We'll see what
happens as the project kind of gets rolling, they're gonna
choose the who's who actually wins the design proposal. So
it almost sounds like Larry, you know last time we
talked about you know, there is a proposal to move
ten to move and the garden over so that they

(04:18):
can make more room for Penn Station and make it
more airy. But it sounds like everybody's gonna have to
reapply to the DOT to see if their proposal will
get approved. So the MTA is no longer in charge
of this project.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, I thought it was fascinating when he said he
was taking over the whole project. And the reason he
was is because the MTA wastes so much money. There's
no love lost between the Trump administration and the MTA
these days. They still have that fight going on about
congestion pricing. But you know what, who cares. This is
great news, This is wonderful news. I used to take

(04:54):
Amtrak all the time, and I know they need help,
and I know they need help in all of their
stations up and down on the Northeast Corridor. This is
tremendous news. So thanks so much. Natalie Migliore will be
back tomorrow morning at eight point fifty with her beat
on the Street.