“This is the train to Trump Station. Next stop: Trump Station.”
Long Island Rail Road commuters may one day hear that announcement under a proposal to rename Penn Station that is gaining momentum from Republican lawmakers and facing little resistance from some key Democrats.
And because the decision would ultimately be made by a White House-appointed board, experts said the name change is a real possibility.
The president and White House officials have signaled their support for renaming the 116-year-old Manhattan transit hub after President Donald Trump, whose administration is leading a multibillion dollar effort to redevelop Penn Station…
New York leaders could be making a calculated political decision by not putting up roadblocks to a renaming, said Michael Smart, director of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
“There’s a … very practical argument that says we shouldn’t fight this. Get the money. Get the redevelopment done. And if New Yorkers reject the name, you can always rename it after the ink has dried and all the funds have been spent,” said Smart. “For many people, I think, ‘name the station after me, or I won’t play nice with you’ doesn’t come across great.”