Gimbels passageway at Penn Station to reopen for public access.

Penn Station, one of North America’s busiest transportation hubs, serves approximately 600,000 subway and commuter rail passengers daily, outpacing the combined traffic of LaGuardia and JFK airports. Despite its critical role in the region’s infrastructure, frustrations persist surrounding its outdated facilities and chaotic environment. The federal government has taken charge of the station’s reconstruction, with the Gateway Program making headway in what many consider a transformative opportunity for Manhattan’s West Side.

The modernization of Penn Station is essential not only for easing congestion and improving reliability but also for enhancing connectivity across the metropolitan network. A redesigned station is anticipated to create thousands of well-paying union jobs, stimulate economic growth, and facilitate better connections between neighboring regions, from New Jersey to Long Island.

A crucial aspect of this redevelopment is improving connections between the diverse transit options available at Penn Station and other nearby transit lines, particularly those serving Herald Square. Currently, transferring between these hubs requires navigating some of the city’s most congested streets, presenting a significant challenge for commuters. A solution lies in the historical Gimbels Passageway, an 800-foot underground tunnel that connected Seventh Avenue subway lines to Sixth Avenue lines before closing in the 1980s due to safety concerns.

Reopening the Gimbels Passageway could dramatically streamline commuter movement, potentially eliminating approximately 100,000 surface-level transfers each day. This would allow travelers to bypass busy intersections and reduce congestion—especially after major events—ultimately leading to smoother transit flows.

While the Gimbels Passageway is a relatively small project in the context of Penn Station’s broader redevelopment, its impact could be profound. The Regional Plan Association estimates that transit delays cost the New York metro area around billion each year in lost productivity, underscoring the economic value of improved transit connections.

Such infrastructure investments are critical for adapting to modern demands and addressing past oversights. Reviving pedestrian corridors can facilitate efficient movement and enhance the user experience at Penn Station, which remains challenged by dimly lit spaces and a lack of seamless connectivity. Successful precedents, like the reopening of the High Bridge and the well-utilized tunnels at Grand Central Terminal, highlight the benefits of expansive transit networks built for pedestrian convenience.

However, the opportunity to act on these improvements is time-sensitive. As federal funding becomes limited and construction costs increase, integrating the reopening of Gimbels into the current renovation plans is economically prudent. Engineers and construction professionals are ready to implement this initiative, but a concerted political commitment is necessary to move forward.

Reopening the Gimbels Passageway won’t solve all the issues faced by Penn Station, but it represents a pragmatic and high-impact enhancement that addresses real commuter challenges. The infrastructure exists, the need is apparent, and the potential benefits are significant, making this an essential step towards a more efficient transit landscape in New York City.