Federal Transportation Department set to kick in $72 million toward Penn Station renovations, Sen. Schumer says

NEW YORK — The federal government will fund two-thirds of Penn Station’s renovation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told the Daily News Tuesday.

The $72 million in federal Transportation Department grant money secured by the Democratic leader will fund accessibility, new entrances and public spaces at the transit hub.

The money is expected to pay for 18 new escalators and 11 elevators to train platforms at the station, and will increase the number of street entrances at the station from 12 to 20.

It will also fund a 30,000 square foot public plaza, and include a new underground connection to the B, D, F, M, N, R, Q and W trains at 34th St.-Herald Sq.

The remaining $24 million of the $96 million renovation project will be split three ways between the states of New York and New Jersey and Amtrak.

The renovation project is separate from the Gateway Project, which seeks to add capacity to the midtown transit hub by building additional tunnels and tracks from New Jersey.

Federal dollars are funding roughly 70% of the $16 billion tunnel project.