White Elephant

One of the biggest contributors affecting daily life quality is our commuting experience. For most people post-pandemic, that means going from the bedroom to the living room or the kitchen table.?

But for the people whose work requires them to be at a specific location, that could mean many different experiences. Knowing how important our commute contributes to our daily health and well-being, we do all kinds of things to improve that experience. We look for all the best options to get us from A to B.?

New York City has the longest commute time in the nation of 33.3 minutes each way. (The national average is 26.6 minutes). And, just like anything, quality isn’t necessarily gauged by time. I prefer a one-hour walk to work along a beautiful scenic pathway to a twenty-minute subway ride. Most New Yorkers walk - a lot, and a 45-minute walk in Manhattan seems to go by much faster than in many other places. New York is also one of the least obese and healthiest states in the nation. Our commute plays a big role in that.?

On February 27th, the MTA opened the new Grand Central LIRR hub. So, this past week, I took my first trip on the Long Island Railroad to the newly minted Grand Central stop. This is one of those plans and initiatives hatched pre-covid, and honestly, it felt like the plan was hatched pre-dinosaur age. When it comes to trains, we have a very long way to go. I just returned home from a trip to Switzerland, and we could learn a lot from them. But I digress…

When I got off the train at Grand Central, the place was a ghost town (at peak hour). It could have had something to do with the fact that what once was a 36-minute train ride had now become a 63-minute experience. In addition to the long train ride, it took 11 minutes to travel the 17 stories below ground to see daylight. All of this is at a staggering cost of 11 billion or nearly $3.5 billion for each mile of track (seven times the average cost in the rest of the world).?

But the biggest cost of this project might be the hit real estate values in Long Island. People will pay less for a worse experience.?

Time will tell if this new train stop will ever be embraced or if it will be a white elephant and stark contrast to what lies 17 floors above - one of the most beautiful train stations in the world.?

Side Bar:

This week, I’m listening to the music of Wayne Shorter, who passed away last week. One of the greatest saxophone players and American composers. I spent many hours of my life being enriched listening to his incredible artistry, whether in the Miles Davis Quintet, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Weather Report, or the few times I was fortunate to see him perform live with his own group. If you haven’t listened to his album??“Speak No Evil” - you should.?

Let’s do this.

Shaun