Bringing the LIRR into existing tracks and platforms that connect to the Upper Level loop at Grand Central Terminal is a far better option than sending them into a new "Deep Cavern" terminal station to be constructed some 150 feet below Park Avenue. Asking commuters to climb the equivalent of the height from the base to the torch of the Statue of Liberty is not in anyone's interest. The Upper Level option was explored in great detail by the Delcan Corporation, a well-regarded Canadian engineering firm, and found to be feasible and to meet LIRR operating requirements for its East Side Access project.

The study found that there would be no significant impact on Metro-North commuters if five of the railroad's 46 platform tracks at Grand Central - the world's largest railway station - were reallocated to the LIRR.

It's A Matter of Time

The Delcan study estimated that LIRR commuters will save three to four minutes per trip, each way, if the LIRR uses the upper level instead of the Deep Cavern. MTA is asking LIRR commuters to donate nearly a full work week each year to advance its subterranean terminal. While about half of LIRR commuters would benefit if their trains came directly to Grand Central, saving about 15 minutes, MTA is giving away 20 to 25% of this gain by driving passengers deep underground. The MTA plan will take three years longer to build, postponing even the diminished benefit of bringing LIRR passengers to East Midtown. Changing course now, and moving forward on the Upper Level plan, will speed, not delay, completion of the project.

It's A Matter of Cost

The Upper Level option would save at least $1.2 billion in construction cost compared with the Deep Cavern. With construction costs skyrocketing in New York, MTA's Deep Cavern plan could easily reach or exceed $8 to 10 billion to complete. With only a limited amount of Federal dollars available, New York's taxpayers will be asked to dig more deeply into their pockets to pay the rest of its cost.

It's A Matter of Safety

In this age of concern about terrorism and security, designing a facility that unnecessarily places as many as 8,000 passengers in harm's way, some 150 feet below Park Avenue, is particularly worrisome. The risks associated with a Deep Cavern station far exceed those of a station just twenty feet below the surface. Transit advocates have requested that appropriate federal and City fire and public safety officials make a detailed comparison of the relative risk of each option.

It's A Matter of Scale

The main concourse of Grand Central Terminal is one of New York's most magnificent public rooms. With MTA's Deep Cavern plan LIRR commuters are forced downstairs to a low-ceilinged basement-like space. The ride up 90 feet on a bank of 17 escalators will be grueling. Ask subway riders who just came up an escalator at 53rd and Lexington how pleased they would be if MTA more than doubled the length of their ascent! Furthermore, escalators might have to be stopped in the event of a fire or attack, to avoid an electrical flash. Many commuters would have great difficulty climbing up steep escalator treads.