210 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

CURBED New York, 4/12/17:
 

Gateway Tunnel may proceed even with proposed Trump budget cuts

A public-private partnership might save the trans-Hudson tunnel project

 

UPDATE: A previous version of this article stated, based on WNYC’s reporting that the project could move forward with a private-public partnership. A Port Authority Spokesperson has since clarified that only a part of the project could move forward with such a partnership and that the tunnel is still largely dependent on federal funds.

 

 

 

Despite initial fears that budget cuts by the Trump administration might impede work on the Gateway tunnel project, the group developing it is now saying it has an alternate plan. WNYC spoke with the leadership at the Gateway Development Corp., and learned that the non-profit group spearheading the project will likely get funding from a public-private partnership, if federal funds don’t come through.

 

Donald Trump’s budget proposal included a 17 percent decrease from the United States Department of Transportation’s budget, which would make it the agency’s lowest budget in 18 years.

 

Federal funding for projects like the Gateway tunnel are dependent on the government’s New Starts program. New York and New Jersey legislators expressed concerns that the budget cuts would likely destroy the New Starts program, which grants $2.3 billion in funds to transportation projects across the country each year, according to WNYC.

 

Continue here.

[Sloan]

 

 

NY, NJ Senators Invite Transportation Secretary to View Decaying Train Tunnels

 

NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - To preserve federal funding for critical rail projects, New Jersey and New York senators on Wednesday asked U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to examine firsthand the decaying train tunnels that threaten to cripple regional travel if they fail.

https://www.usnews.c...g-train-tunnels

[CNJRoss]

HudsonTunnelProject.com   DEIS Released:

 

 

WELCOME

 

 

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and NJ TRANSIT are jointly preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the Hudson Tunnel Project. The Project is intended to preserve the current functionality of the Northeast Corridor’s (NEC) Hudson River rail crossing between New Jersey and New York and strengthen the resiliency of the NEC. The EIS is being prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).  As appropriate, FRA and NJ TRANSIT are coordinating with Amtrak and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) on the preparation of the EIS.

 

The FRA and NJ TRANSIT invite you to learn about the Preferred Alternative and the environmental review process. The Draft EIS has been released and comments may be submitted through August 21, 2017:

• In person at the public hearings (see box to the right)
• Via the project website
• Via email: comment@hudsontunnelproject.com
• By US mail to the following address:

HUDSON TUNNEL PROJECT
c/o Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc.
11 Hanover Square, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10005  

 

Project Contacts:

 

Ms. Amishi Castelli, Ph.D.
Environmental Protection Specialist
USDOT Federal Railroad Administration
One Bowling Green, Suite 429
New York, NY 10004

 

Mr. RJ Palladino, AICP, PP

Senior Program Manager
NJ TRANSIT Capital Planning
One Penn Plaza East - 8th Floor
Newark, NJ 07105

 

Preferred Alternative

View high-resolution PDF

 

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available at the link below and at Repositories in the Study Area.

• Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
• List of Project Repositories
• Fact Sheet #4:  DEIS Overview - English | Spanish

 

PLEASE JOIN US FOR DEIS PUBLIC HEARINGS

 

August 1, 2017
Hotel Pennsylvania
Skytop Ballroom, 18th floor
401 Seventh Ave at
West 33rd St
New York, NY 10001

 

August 3, 2017
Secaucus Junction Rail Station
Upper Level Long Hallway
County Rd & County Ave
Secaucus, NJ 07094

August 10, 2017
Union City High School
2500 Kennedy Blvd
Union City, NJ 07087

 

Each hearing will include an afternoon and evening session, from 3-5 PM and 6-8 PM, with a brief presentation about the Project at 3:15 PM and again at 6:15 PM. At the hearings, members of the public are invited to provide an oral statement or to submit comments in writing. The hearing facilities will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Spanish and American Sign Language translators will be present. If other special accommodations are needed, please contact the Project team at least five days prior to the hearings at 973-261-8115, or email team@hudsontunnelproject.com. For directions and parking information, please visit the Events page.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

The New York Times,​ 7/6/17:

Cost of Hudson Tunnel Project Could Hit Nearly $13 Billion, Report Says

 

Building a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and fixing the existing one could cost nearly $13 billion — a steep increase over an earlier estimate of $7.7 billion, according to a report released on Thursday.

 

Transit officials are proceeding with planning for the project, which would improve a critical link between New York and New Jersey. The tunnel proposal is considered one of the most important infrastructure projects in the country, but its fate is unclear under the Trump administration.

 

The new report, by the Federal Railroad Administration and New Jersey Transit, evaluated the plan’s environmental and economic impacts. The study was a major step before detailed design work and construction could begin, said John D. Porcari, the interim executive director of the Gateway Program Development Corporation, which was created to oversee the project.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 7/7/17:

 

FRA issues draft environmental report for Hudson Tunnel project

 

The project involves building two new rail tubes in a single tunnel beneath the Hudson River. Photo – Amtrak

 

Building a new Hudson River rail tunnel between New York City and New Jersey could cost up to $12.9 billion, according to a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) released yesterday by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). That amount includes $1.8 billion to rehabilitate the existing North River Tunnel.

The figure marks a jump from January, when Amtrak estimated the project would cost $7.7 billion. Nonetheless, the publication of the DEIS is a milestone in the clearance process before design or construction can begin, FRA officials said in a press release.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

FRA news release:

 

FRA Releases Environmental Review for Hudson Tunnel Project

06 July 2017

 

ABSTRACT: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today published the Draft Environmental Impact Statement review (DEIS) for the Hudson Tunnel Project, completing the review in 14 months from the Federal Register Notice of Initiation. The DEIS identifies the project’s preferred alternative, which includes constructing a new tunnel, refurbishing the existing ones and preserving the current functionality of the Northeast Corridor’s (NEC) Hudson River rail crossing between New Jersey and New York. To develop the DEIS, the FRA established a federal and state agency task force and obtained federal permits concurrently with the NEPA process.

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today published the Draft Environmental Impact Statement review (DEIS) for the Hudson Tunnel Project, completing the review in 14 months from the Federal Register Notice of Initiation. The DEIS identifies the project’s preferred alternative, which includes constructing a new tunnel, refurbishing the existing ones and preserving the current functionality of the Northeast Corridor’s (NEC) Hudson River rail crossing between New Jersey and New York.  To develop the DEIS, the FRA established a federal and state agency task force and obtained federal permits concurrently with the NEPA process.  

 

The Final EIS is expected to be issued in March 2018, approximately 22 months after initiation as compared to reviews of this magnitude which have taken more than 40 months to complete, demonstrating the Department’s commitment to streamline the project review process.

 

The existing NEC rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River, known as the North River Tunnel, is used by Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service and New Jersey Transit for commuter rail service.

 

Within the DEIS, FRA states that the preferred alternative will meet the purpose and need identified for the Hudson Tunnel Project.  The DEIS notes that the plan  includes construction of two new rail tubes in a single tunnel beneath the Hudson River that can maintain the existing level of train service while the North River Tunnel tubes are taken out of service one at a time for rehabilitation. Once the North River Tunnel restoration is complete, both old and new tunnels will be in service, providing redundant capability and increased operational flexibility. 

 

The DEIS reports that its preferred alternative may cost in the range of $11.7 to $12.98 billion. It will be the responsibility of the project sponsors to identify their funding sources and plan.  The Department notes that all projects that apply for Federal funding must meet the appropriate criteria and that all projects will be individually evaluated on their merits, without prejudice against or partiality in favor of particular projects.

 

Publication of the DEIS is a milestone in the clearance process for all known environmental impacts before pre-engineering design and construction can begin on the project.  It also initiates a comprehensive public comment period and public hearings before the FRA can finalize the EIS and Record of Decision. To support that there are three public hearings, with meetings scheduled on August 1^st, August 3^rd and August 10^th.

 

For more information, visit https://www.fra.dot....ernal2Red.png"> or http://www.hudsontun...ernal2Red.png">. 

####

 

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 8/1/17:

 

FRA opens environmental hearings for Hudson River rail tunnels

The project involves building two new rail tubes in a single tunnel beneath the Hudson River. Photo – Chuck Gomez/Amtrak

 

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today will begin holding hearings to solicit public input the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the Hudson River rail tunnel project.

SNIP

 

Unveiled in early July, the DEIR determined that building a new Hudson River rail tunnel between New York City and New Jersey could cost nearly $13 billion.

The preferred alternative calls for building two new rail tubes in a single tunnel beneath the Hudson River, along with refurbishing existing tunnels.

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

Reuters 8/10/17:
 

New York train tunnel project hires expert in public-private finance

 

NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - The Gateway Program, which includes building a new tunnel underneath New York's Hudson River, has hired a private financing expert from French bank Societe Generale as interim chief financial officer, the program said on Thursday.

 

Gateway Program Development Corporation trustees said at a board meeting that Francis Sacr, who headed Societe's (SOGN.PA) infrastructure finance team for the Americas, will oversee financing for the $24 billion joint effort between national rail company Amtrak, New Jersey and New York to improve a critical train traffic chokepoint on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 8/15/17:

 

Gateway leaders seek private-sector ideas for Hudson rail projects

 

The Gateway Program Development Corp. (GDC) has issued a request for information (RFI) from private-sector leaders who have planning ideas for the Hudson Tunnel and the final section of the Hudson Yards concrete casing projects.

 

Specifically, the RFI is seeking ideas that will help inform the planning for procurement and delivery — including potential design, construction and solutions — of the projects, GDC officials said in a press release.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

The Record, Hoboken, NJ 9/6/17:
 

NJ House members rally to save funding for Gateway tunnel project

 

 

New Jersey and New York lawmakers were successful Wednesday in protecting protect $900 million intended to jump start Amtrak's Gateway project, which includes replacing a rail bridge in the Meadowlands and building a new tunnel under the Hudson River.

T

he funding came under attack from conservatives who contend it violates a 2010 ban on "earmarks," or congressionally mandated spending for specific projects. 

 

The attack failed, with the House voting 159-260 just before 11 p.m. to defeat it. Voting to strip the funding were 155 Republicans and four Democrats, while opposing it were 76 Republicans and 184 Democrats.

 

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Republican from Harding who is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, was instrumental in getting the $900 million included in the 2018 budget for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

 

Continue here.