Rep. Frelinghuysen Blasts Feds, Says Gateway Tunnel Is Imperative

The Gateway/Hudson River Tunnel projects are a “national infrastructure priority that need to be done.” Those are the words of U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, representative for New Jersey's 11th District, who recently spoke in support of a massive, $13 billion project known as the "Gateway Tunnel.”

In a Thursday letter to Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams, Frelinghuysen criticized the agency’s recent decision to put the kibosh on an Obama-era funding plan for the project, which would create a two-track tube for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains under the Hudson River in an attempt to alleviate a critical bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor rail line.

• See related article: $13B Gateway Tunnel In Jeopardy; Feds Trash Obama-Era Deal

Frelinghuysen, who chairs the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, said that it’s the responsibility of the committee to assure that such national priorities are met.

“I strongly encourage the administration to support my state and New York in this effort,” Frelinghuysen wrote. “I believe it is unrealistic for the administration to expect the most important infrastructure project in the country to move forward without full participation and investment from the FTA and Department of Transportation.”

Last week, FTA officials stated in a letter to governors Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie that their plan to split the cost of the project 50/50 with the U.S. government – partly through federal loans - was null and void, Crains stated.

"There is no such agreement," wrote FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams. "We consider it unhelpful to reference a non-existent 'agreement' rather than directly address the responsibility for funding a local project where nine out of 10 passengers are local transit riders."

However, FTA officials left the door open to another possible underwriting arrangement, provided that it doesn't include a federal loan, Crains reported.

The FTA's announcement comes just months after Amtrak repairs at New York Penn Station caused an uproar among local commuters during the "Summer of Hell," when Amtrak and NJ Transit saw recent heavy fire for repeated delays and other maintenance and infrastructural problems.

• See related article: Ex-Daily Show Writer's Video Shows Why The Gateway Rail Tunnel Project Is Needed

Read Frelinghuysen’s full letter to Williams below.

“I am writing regarding your December 29 letter to the State of New York.

“As you may know, there has long been agreement among federal, state, and local officials that the Gateway project is an urgent national infrastructure priority. The existing tunnels under the Hudson River are over 100 years old and were severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Absent immediate action, conditions will continue to deteriorate leading to a potential disaster, putting passengers, and major commerce, at serious risk.

“It is also imperative we pursue Gateway to ensure millions of Americans continue to access this vital economic Northeast Corridor that enables safe transportation of more than 800,000 daily riders, from Washington to Boston, in an area that supports approximately 20 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). Further, this rail project serves as a critical choke point for Amtrak's entire operation on the East Coast from Florida to Maine.

“A project of this size and scope requires investment from all stakeholders and your vision too! I strongly encourage the administration to support my state and New York in this effort. I believe it is unrealistic for the administration to expect the most important infrastructure project in the country to move forward without full participation and investment from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Department of Transportation (DOT).

“It is the responsibility of the House Committee on Appropriations to assure that such national priorities are met.”

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Photo: frelinghuysen.house.gov