MTA won’t build platform on West Side rail yards

For the third time this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has adjusted its surplus estimate for 2005. Most recently at $833 million, the estimate now stands at $1.044 billion, much of it because of real estate taxes and unusually low interest rates recently. Revelation of the new estimate came with the MTA’s announcement of a spending plan for 2006. That plan, incidentally, does not include building a giant platform over the West Side rail yards that would, in turn, be the base for office and apartment buildings. more [NYT]