Renaming Penn Station Is Now an Administration Priority

Penn Station may be getting more than a facelift. In a letter to three Senate committees, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called renaming New York City's Pennsylvania Station a Trump administration priority. He did not suggest what the new name would be, but the idea of including "Trump" in it has come up, the New York Times reports. The Department of Transportation, which took control of the station's multibillion-dollar overhaul last year, is pushing Congress for another $1 billion for design and renovation, plus broader rail funding changes that would let Amtrak collect payments from surrounding developments instead of local taxes.

Renderings of the $7 billion to $8 billion revamp show a new Eighth Avenue entrance and a redesigned concourse featuring Trump's name engraved inside but no explicit rebranding of the station itself. Democrats immediately objected: Rep. Jerrold Nadler called it a "hostile takeover," while Sen. Chuck Schumer said Penn Station should be rebuilt, not rebranded to gratify the president. Duffy's letter also urged lawmakers to favor car travel over cycling, seeking to limit federal dollars for bike lanes and even supporting the removal of existing ones. Asked last summer about changing the name to "Trump Station," Duffy said, "I think that has a nice ring to it."