Discussion will continue on efforts to advance ARC Penn Station First -- a plan for connecting the new Hudson River passenger rail tunnels directly into existing tracks and platforms at Moynihan/Penn Station. The current NJ Transit plan to connect the new tunnels into a deep cavern dead end terminal station 175 feet below 34th Street is seriously flawed, and should be modified.

Time permitting, there will be progress reports on other RRWG initiatives:

• Moving forward on the Penn Station Metro-Hub plan
• Upper Level Loop Alternative for LIRR East Side Access
• Lower Manhattan Access
• Light Rail in the Lincoln Tunnel
• Regional Rail Freight and Intercity rail passenger issues

We also urge you to attend the next Auto-Free New York meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2009, 6-8pm, at the same location. The subject will be:

"Reducing roadway congestion to JFK Airport: A one-seat rail service on the disused LIRR Rockaway Cut-Off in Central Queens"

An informal discussion will be led by Robert Kozma, retired public transit operations specialist.