A New Trans-Hudson Rail

By Richard T. Anderson, President, New York Building Congress and Philip K. Beachem, President, New Jersey Alliance for Action

It appears that the roads, bridges and tunnels we use every day have always been a part of our lives. Yet, while it might seem like we’ve always had the Lincoln Tunnel, George Washington Bridge, and the many commuter rail lines that connect our region, the fact is that previous generations had to think ahead and act boldly to build these assets. This laid the foundation for a thriving regional economy that has become the envy of the world.

We can no longer rely upon the achievements of those who came before us. Today’s regional transportation system is congested and its ability to move people efficiently between jobs and their homes is eroding. Just as the previous generation contributed to our success, we now have to make an investment for our children and beyond. We must create transportation solutions that improve our mobility, grow the economy and also protect our environment. Only wise and farsighted planning can accomplish our necessary goals.

With the population in our region expected to grow by almost 3,000,000 people over the next 25 years, we cannot afford to wait for more trans-Hudson capacity. Job growth in New York City and in midtown Manhattan in particular is expected to increase tremendously over the coming decades, and pressure to cross the Hudson River could turn our regional roadways and river crossings into parking lots if we do not act now.

That’s because today’s commuter rail system connecting New York City and New Jersey, as well as Washington and Boston, relies on a 100-year-old, obsolete, two-track railroad and a congested Penn Station that strains from the movement of 150,000 NJ TRANSIT trips each day. Even as we predict significant regional growth, today’s commuter rail system and its two track tunnel are already at capacity.

That is the reason that New Jersey Transit and The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey are working in partnership to advance a project that will break this trans-Hudson bottleneck The Trans Hudson Express Tunnel (THE Tunnel), also known as the Access to the Region’s Core Project (ARC), is a $7.5 billion project that will add two new tracks under the Hudson and expand the capacity of Penn Station to the North under 34th Street.

The last time a commuter rail connection was built under the Hudson River, William Howard Taft was the President of the United States and the Model T had just been introduced. Now it’s our turn to build the critical infrastructure that will benefit our children and grandchildren. Now is the time to protect our economy, our environment, and our quality of life.

Through the leadership of Governor Corzine as well as Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg and members of the bi-state Congressional Delegation this project is moving forward quickly. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has committed $2 billion for the project and the State of New Jersey has authorized an additional $1.5 billion.

With this leadership and funding, the project has advanced into preliminary engineering. We can see the design and ultimate construction of a project that will define our generation and help further the economy.