By Christine Werthman

The Senate has allocated $470 million to upgrade the security of the New York City and Washington D.C. transit systems as part of a port security bill. The money will go toward improving the lighting, ventilation and emergency access at tunnels that include four under the East River and two under the Hudson River. Long Island Railroad, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit use the tunnels, and the improvements will take place between 2007-2010. Senator Hillary Clinton pushed the need for the transit funding since the bombing of Madrid’s commuter trains in 2004. Clinton said that six New York tunnels were built in 1910 and need the improvements to protect commuters against “the threats we face in the post 9/11 world.” If there’s any extra cash leftover after the tunnels get thoroughly spruced up, we’d also like to suggest some subway improvements, like air fresheners and perhaps a bar car.