Rail Tunnel for NY & NJ

In a last minute provision of the recently passed Transportation Bill, the Port Authority of NY & NJ received a $100 million appropriation to build a rail tunnel from Bayonne, NJ to Bayridge, NY (Brooklyn). According to a NY Times article by their transportation columnist Sewell Chan, this was a surprise to the Port Authority which had shelved plans for the tunnel. In response to the $100 million grant, he gets this quote from the authority’s executive director, Kenneth J. Ringler Jr. “For us to say that we’re committed at this point in time and can commit any funds to it would be premature.”

This is an extremely important capital project that will keep over 1 million trucks off the road each year and reduce NY’s dependence on gas guzzling trucks which according to Move NY deliver over 90% of the food and goods to NYC since we lack good rail access for freight trains. This is one of the reasons why basic goods cost more in NYC than in other parts of the country. As oil prices continue to increase, New Yorkers will be forced to continue to pay more and more unless we can replace much of that transportation to frieght rail.

Peak Oil NYC