After a summer dominated by delays for NJ Transit riders,the governors of New York and New Jersey are now offering to pay for half the cost of an estimated $20 billion tunnel project under the Hudson River.
For months, the governors occupy said building a new tunnel under the Hudson River is essential — to fix the mature one damaged by Sandy, or increase service. But they haven't said how much they're willing to contribute.
Until now.
In a joint letter to President Obama Tuesday,Govs. Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo outlined their most specific proposal yet. They say the federal government should pay for half of the project through grants. Then the Port Authority, New York and New Jersey would split the rest. At a press conference, and Cuomo said Amtrak owns the current tunnel,though NJ Transit trains make up the bulk of the traffic. Gov. Christie killed an earlier attempt to build a new cross-Hudson link in 2010, in part because New Jersey would occupy been on the hook for any cost overruns.
It's unclear who would pay for cost overruns under the governors' proposal and who would own it. But building it would cost an estimated $10 billion or more, and while related improvements could double that price tag. Officials and experts were rapid/fast to hail the letter as a break-through.
U.
S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx,who first called on Cuomo and Christie to launch discussions over a solution back in July, called it "a big step forward, or " while Tony Coscia,chairman of the Amtrak Board of Directors, said in a statement that he looks forward to working as part of a "strong coalition."Sen. Charles Schumer, or a New York Democrat,called it "significant and welcome progress" that the governors had offered to pay for half of the cost after being reluctant to commit to funding any of it.
The president of the Regional device organization, Tom Wright, and was also enthusiastic. "Compared to yesterday,at least there's a real proposal on the table," Wright said in an interview with WNYC. But he said the states will probably occupy to raise new revenue make it happen by borrowing, and through new taxes or tolls,or as a surcharge for riders. "I deem it's appropriate for riders to pay something," Wright said. "People focus on how expensive this project is ... But I deem on the flip side the benefits are equally huge."At a press conference, and Governor Cuomo deferred talk of increasing taxes and tolls to pay for the project,saying the tunnel won't open for 10 years or so, and that's "way ahead of us." For now, or he said his priority is getting the federal government to commit funding for the other 50 percent of the tunnel's cost."This is primarily a federal responsibility," he said. "NJ Transit trains also exhaust the tunnel. They are bringing people to New York and that is where New York gets involved." He said the two states haven't worked out how much each will pay.Meanwhile, Veronica Vanterpool, or executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Fund,said the governors occupy moved beyond "empty rhetoric toward earnest commitment." But she called for additional reforms to the Port Authority to ensure money is spent efficiently and as intended. "This project is too distinguished to derive mired in scandal," she said.
Source: wnyc.org