Score! But game
is far from over

Hold onto your shovels: It's not a done deal yet.

The proposed West Side stadium sailed over a huge hurdle yesterday when the MTA accepted the Jets' bid for the West Side railyards.

But there are other barriers to be cleared before the stadium can be built. Here's a look at the next steps in the process and some possible pitfalls:

• The proposal immediately moves to the Empire State Development Corp., a panel controlled by Gov. Pataki. The panel, which gave the project preliminary approval last year, is expected to give the stadium the final thumbs-up in the coming weeks.

• The proposal then proceeds to the Public Authorities Control Board, an obscure three-member state panel that must unanimously approve the project. The chairman of the board, state Budget Director John Cape, a Pataki appointee, will support the stadium.

  But the votes of the two other members - Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and state Sen. Owen Johnson (R-Babylon), who represents Senate Majority leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer) - are less certain.

  Bruno and Silver have remained neutral. "The jury is still out," Silver said yesterday.

• The deal is contingent on $600 million in taxpayer subsidies to be split evenly between the state and city. But the state budget, passed yesterday, did not include Pataki's $300 million pledge, and City Council members are working on legislation to prohibit the mayor from funneling $300 million in city money to the project.

• The project is already the subject of lawsuits and is certain to face more litigation - most notably from the stadium's biggest opponent, Cablevision, whose bid for the site was rejected yesterday.