Good morning. Today is Thursday. Today we’re going to take a look at the diagrams and latches of the Hudson River tunnel project that just tackled a major roadblock and why it matters to New York, New Jersey, and even the whole country. . And we’re going to dive into the money and transparency the city controller just revealed in New York’s ferry system.
It was big news this week when the governors of New York and New Jersey agreed to share their share of the $14 billion initial cost of the Gateway project, which aims to double the capacity of convoys. The train runs down the Hudson River. For political watchers, it was a breakthrough in one of the years-long controversies weighing heavily on ambitions for the region.
But why is it important to the rest of us? I lost track, so I asked my Times colleague Patrick McGeehan, who Follow the story.
First of all, what is the Gateway project?
Gateway’s primary purpose was to expand capacity for trains between New York City and New Jersey, primarily for passenger use. The focus was on digging two single-track tunnels – one in, one out, to match an existing pair of tracks, which are 112 years old.
However, for that to happen, things have to happen on both sides of the River. In New Jersey, they needed to build some new tracks and replace the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River. It was a revolving drawbridge, and it stuck when they opened it. They had to hammer it into place with a sledgehammer.
OH. Is that a common cause of delays?
The words New Jersey commuters don’t want to hear are “Gateway Bridge”. No good news about Portal Bridge. (Except for one thing: That work has actually begun.)
On the New York side, Penn Station needs to be expanded to accommodate more trains.
Wait, didn’t we just remake Penn Station?
What they did was turn the old post office into a nice big ship room – without adding any actual ship capacity.
So Gateway is obviously great for commuters from New Jersey. What’s in it for us New Yorkers?
The Penn Station expansion will add more options for transit in and around New York City. Metro North trains, which run up the Hudson and along Long Island Sound through Westchester to Connecticut, can connect to Penn. Some trains may even run all the way, from Long Island to New Jersey and back.
You can make all the trains go to all the places people want to go, is another way of saying it. Instead of the distributed system we have today, where Metro North, New Jersey Transit and Long Island Rail Road do not connect or even converge at a single hub.
Does it help people who never take a train?
More people will be able to come to New York to work, shop, go to the theater and spend money. That contributes to the city’s economy, even if many riders live outside.
And they won’t drive in – that’s the key to improving our air and clearing our streets and responding to the climate crisis, right?
Right. The trains we have now are significantly greener than the alternatives. But with as many errors still possible, the bus could be electrified before the Gateway is built!
Can’t we have both?
Maybe someday!
So why do people think this time Gateway is really possible?
The main difference now is that the Biden administration loves infrastructure and Biden loves trains – Amtrak Joe – so audiences in Washington are more receptive than at any time in the last 20 years. All are in line now to get the federal funding they need – many billions. (The estimated total cost is $30 billion.)
The danger is, it looks like the Democrats may not take control after December. To put it mildly, there is not widespread support among Republicans, especially from the center of the state. country, for a project (a) a train and (b) in New York.
Can’t they say it’s in New Jersey? Does that work?
It is still a blue state project and an expensive one. But the Biden administration has a lot of money in the infrastructure bill that could go to the Gateway directly or through Amtrak. They may receive the promised amount this year. But they have to move fast.
In your story, you said this project has national significance. Why?
After they started planning, the existing tunnels were flooded by Hurricane Sandy. They are constantly working piecemeal to fix lingering issues and enhance the tunnels in general. That is one reason for the delay.
If no new tunnels are built, a tunnel may eventually have to be closed completely for repairs. That means each time a train will take turns going in the opposite direction. That would slow down the entire East Coast transportation system dramatically.
But with Gateway, when the new tunnels go live, they can close the old tunnels for a complete repair and eventually there will be 4 tunnels working.
When?
Eight years after the start of construction. If the money comes in this year, it will be 2032.
Weather
Prepare for the possibility of light rain during the day and evening. Temperatures will stay high in the 70s, dropping to around 70 at night.
PARKING OUTSIDE
Valid until Saturday (Eid al-Adha).
Brad Lander, New York City’s chief accountant, couldn’t help himself. Before making his announcement about the NYC Ferry, the ferry system on the East and Hudson Rivers and to the Rockaway in Queens, he quoted a lengthy passage from “Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry. In the poem, Walt Whitman, the mayor of the municipality, tells of a bustling 19th water commuter route that sounds just as spiritual as it is today.
Images of New York’s restoration of the harbor, which first made it rich and powerful, into a central place in people’s lives help explain the appeal of an established ferry system. refurbished. It is of particular interest to former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has given attention and money to the project.
But Mr. Lander, My colleague Ana Ley reports, was present on the jetty to declare that the visibility was gone, in part, to bad. His Audi 50 pagesfound that the semi-independent city agency in charge of the ferry program, the Economic Development Corporation, failed to report nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in costs.
The report cited record-keeping problems, as well as overpayments and insufficient oversight of Hornblower, the privately run ferries.
Fred D’Ascoli, EDC’s chief financial officer, said in a letter that any issues should be fixed, but the report misinterpreted some of the information.
The ferry system has been criticized for operating at a much higher per-trip allowance than other forms of public transport, and for not integrating with the metro and bus systems or serving many low-income passengers. But Mr. Lander raised more fundamental issues, like EDC overpaying for a $2.8 million boat and never asking for a refund.
“The continuation and growth of the ferry system is critical to New York City,” Mr. de Blasio said in a statement. We need more affordable, accessible transportation options connecting the five counties now more than ever.”
Dear Diary:
I was walking near my home on the Lower East Side when I passed a delivery man pushing a large cart loaded with packages.
