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Christie & Cuomo Offer To Split Hudson Rail Tunnel With Obama
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Sep 15, 2015
Modified Sep 15, 2015
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Amtrak
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Sep 15, 2015
Modified Sep 15, 2015
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Governors Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie agree, along with pretty much everyone, that we desperately need a new Hudson River rail tunnel to connect NY and NJ. Still, they've been squabbling over who should pay for it—now, they've offered to split half the cost of a new tunnel if the feds pony up for the rest.
In a joint letter [pdf] to President Obama today, Christie and Cuomo stressed the importance of viable infrastructure connecting their two states. "The existing 105-year-old rail tunnel has been deteriorating for years and is now well beyond critical in its need for repair," the governors wrote, stressing that a daily crush of 750,000 passengers use the tunnel via Amtrak. The total cost of the project, according to Christie and Cuomo, is $20 billion—realistically, the governors say they can each raise funds for about $5 billion if the feds provide grants for the other $10 (note that experts say the tunnel could realistically cost anywhere from $14 to $25 billion).
Christie and Cuomo have been spotty about funding this underwater lifeline. Though researchers have repeatedly told legislators that it was "urgent" they undertake such a project thanks to the crumbling infrastructure (much of which was damaged significantly by Hurricane Sandy), just last month Cuomo argued, "It's not my tunnel,"—Christie, who famously canceled a Hudson River tunnel project several years ago and cited exaggerated costs, agreed such a financial burden wasn't his to shoulder.
So, at least we're moving forward in theory: "Our states are committed to doing our party and to contributing funding, personnel and resources. We know how to build a tunnel." That's good to know... we sort of assumed the actual logistics of building a tunnel were known.
The feds have yet to respond, but while we have their attention, might they take a moment to address some of our other transit clusterfucks?
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Cuomo
hudson river tunnel
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Rebecca Fishbein
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