In a Wednesday letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Senators Booker and Menendez reiterated the need for timely federal action to advance the vital Gateway Project, and, again, offered their assistance. The letter highlights the crucial nature of the matter, reading, in part:
There is a pressing need to quickly advance the Gateway Project to avoid having to shut down one or both of the Hudson River tunnels for repair, which would quickly cause a dangerous and unprecedented transportation nightmare for millions of Americans … The lynchpin of the Northeast Corridor, this trans-Hudson crossing, moves a workforce that contributes 20 percent of the national GDP. Each day the project is delayed, costs rise, and the economic cost of inaction grows.
The letter asks Secretary Chao to answer a series of questions regarding the Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) failure to prioritize the Project, the reasons for repeated delays, and the justification for DOT’s ongoing reluctance to provide essential support. The letter concludes, ‘Given that the Gateway Program is absolutely critical to public safety, the nation’s economy, and the quality of life for regional commuters, we look forward to prompt responses to the above questions and welcome a commitment to working together to avert this looming transportation crisis.’
We report on any responses.
Contact: Jon Moran, Senior Legislative Analyst, jmoran@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x121.