ICYMI: Cuomo in the WSJ — Federal Penn Station Plan “On the Right Track”

President Trump recently unveiled his plans for Manhattan’s Penn Station, about which everyone can agree on two things: The 1963 demolition of the original station, designed by McKim, Mead & White, was a tragedy; and the current station is a disgrace. Roughly half a million people pass each day through this cramped, dingy catacomb beneath Madison Square Garden.

During my tenure as governor of New York, we made real progress. We delivered Moynihan Train Hall across the street—a grand space with a breathtaking skylight and first-class amenities. We began the much-needed East Side Access project and rebuilt the Penn 33rd Street Corridor, the main passageway inside the station to the Long Island Rail Road, making that section brighter and more spacious.

But what to do with the rest of Penn Station, which serves the New York subway, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit?

The dream scenario has always been to move Madison Square Garden to another location. Is that possible? Yes. Is it feasible? Definitely not. Owner James Dolan has no intention of relocating, and there is neither a viable alternative site nearby nor the billions to make it happen.

But Mr. Dolan understood the problem, and he and the state came to an agreement that we announced to acquire the west side of the Garden—where the Infosys Theater sits—demolish it, and replace it with a large glass atrium to bring light into Penn Station. It would be transformative.

That proposal included plans to acquire the block south of the Garden to expand tracks and platforms, further relieving congestion and accommodating additional trains expected from the new cross-Hudson tunnel.

The plan was made public in January 2020, a few months before the pandemic turned the world upside down. In the six years since, Amtrak, the federal partner in Penn Station, has been unmotivated to help and the state has made little progress.

Last year Mr. Trump expressed frustration at the pace of progress and indicated that Amtrak would take a lead role from the state. The president pledged the necessary resources. Final proposals from private developers will be evaluated next month. Again some will push for the Garden to be moved. Again it will fail the feasibility test.

Mr. Trump seems to understand this. Reports indicate he supports the more realistic path of acquiring and removing the Infosys Theater to open up the Station. It would make a major difference, and it’s actually achievable.

What matters is that government makes progress. New York City is in crisis: The economic forecast is gloomy, and citizen confidence has been in steep decline for years. Political leadership is merely rhetorical, without any policy, program or plan to restore the economy, attract jobs, reduce the cost of living and stop the exodus of taxpayers to sunnier climes. Disinvestment is contagious. People need hope that the city has a future.

When infrastructure is done right, it does more than improve a specific function—it lifts public confidence. LaGuardia Airport was famously described as befitting a Third World country. We built an entirely new airport on time and on budget, and what was considered the worst airport in the country is now considered the best. That’s what New York deserves.

The Kosciuszko Bridge and the third track of the Long Island Rail Road inspire pride. Driving across the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge reminds us that government can still do great things and that we can change the trajectory of New York.

As the Penn Station proposals are evaluated, we shouldn’t ask what is the ideal plan but rather what is an achievable plan that makes the most progress. Accomplishments are what matter. The president has less than three years left in office. Getting New York state, New Jersey, the city and the federal government to work together, in good faith and with all due haste, is important to him.

After it was reported that the federal government refused to fund the next leg of the Second Avenue subway until the state gave up its “diversity” requirement, a deal was announced and funding was restored. Such standoffs could become a major impediment to progress at Penn Station. Cooperation is vital. Without it, nothing will be done.

This must not become another example of government incompetence. Now is the time and Penn Station is the place for government to show it can still perform.

This isn’t only about bringing light into an underground train station. It’s about showing that New York City still has a future.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, served as New York’s governor, 2011-21.