New NY-NJ Tunnel Too Rich For New Jersey's Blood

Those NJ Transit fare hikes just aren't paying the bills, and are costing the state an $8.7 billion new railway tunnel that would connect New Jersey and New York. NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein said the state is temporarily halting all work on the "Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel" because it may cost the state an extra $1 billion over its $2.7 billion share. Weinstein said, "We feel pretty strongly that the current cost estimate, which is $8.7 billion, is a number we can achieve. But I’m under clear direction by the governor that this is not going to be a bottomless pit. If we are to go forward, he wants to know the costs and budget are under control."

Work will be suspended for a month, during which NJ Transit will do some number crunching. But NJ.com asks whether or not Jersey folk even need another conduit to infiltrate our fair city. Officials say the tunnel would relieve the flow of 22,000 cars a day between New York and New Jersey, double rail capacity and create 6,000 jobs. But as one NJ.com commenter put it, "You notice New York isn't paying a dime for this tunnel. I wonder how much New York bribed our politicians to get us to fork over our money to subsidize their economy." Actually the New York Port Authority reportedly put $3 billion into the project, but it's okay, we don't like you either.

The project has already been criticized for being poorly planned. The Penn Station extension would not give New Jersey commuters easy access to the east side, and the new station will have to be build so far underground that commuters would have to take a lengthy escalator or an elevator to reach street level. There are also few options for how to raise funds for the state's Transportation Trust Fund besides raising the gas tax, which is just blasphemy.

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By Jaya Saxena in News on September 13, 2010 2:34 PM

Comments [rss]

cmdrogogov

Forgive me if my history is a little fuzzy - i'm from somewhere with real public transportation (London) - but isn't the entire reason for the Port Authority to exist something about buiding an NJ--->NY freight tunnel?

kevd

"i'm from somewhere with real public transportation (London)"

Been to Germany? Their public transpo is ti-ight. (it is run by germans) Its been years, but I don't remember being that impressed with London's. I remember thinking "kinda like New York, but way more expensive, and way less stinking of human feces."

cmdrogogov

Well, Europeans are all filthy socialists according to most people here, so I can't get away with holding them up as a good example to follow (regardless of the fact that you're completely correct)

Ed

We should stop naming things after people before they die.

kevd

I Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel still alive, that old bastard?

I though he died years ago!

(what was named for something before that someone died?)

kevd

Is it Lautenberg?

nik13

You beat me to it! Lautenberg's been mostly dead for several years.

schadenfreudian mensch

How about stop naming things before people get indicting for bribery and tax evasion.

diablofreak

"Actually the New York Port Authority reportedly put $3 billion into the project, but it's okay, we don't like you either."

Newsflash. The Port Authority a bi-state agency.

exnyer

New Jersey telling New Yorkers in a nice way why spend the money when you don`t want us in "your" city to begin with.

diablofreak

screw NJ. if they want to work in NY, pay for your own damn tunnel.

if you don't like it, find a job across the hudson. good luck with that!

seriously, is this tunnel going to benefit even 1% of the NYC population? yeah, i thought so!

Stevennnn

It works both ways. There are many New Yorkers who do the reserve commute into NJ daily..

schadenfreudian mensch

Not enough to be worth it.

diablofreak

be that as it may, let me get my point across in two simple sentences:

NJ needs NYC

NYC doesn't need NJ

exnyer

Let me guess...your not holding Giants/Jets season tickets.

jrrrrz

laughably ignorant. EWR, the ports, millions of educated workers, tourism both ways. when are people going to learn that the distinctions between CT/NY/NJ are political and not cultural/economic?

people who don't recognize this are new yorkers who do not operate in the real world or migrants.