(The acting Govvernor of New Jersey issued the following news release on February 5.)
TRENTON, N.J. — Acting Governor Richard J. Codey today sent President Bush a letter criticizing the President’s reported proposal to cut all federal funding for Amtrak’s operating expenses.
“If the reports are true, the President’s proposal would jeopardize the Northeast Corridor railroad infrastructure that 185,000 New Jerseyans rely on for their daily commutes – and on which many businesses, from Fortune 500 companies to small family-owned enterprises, also rely,” Codey said.
“The President’s reported proposal would have a terrible impact on traffic congestion, quality of life, New Jersey’s economy and the economy of the entire Northeast region,” Codey continued.
Codey credited U.S. Senators Jon S. Corzine and Frank R. Lautenberg for their action today on this issue. The Senators announced they are also urging the President not to eliminate Amtrak’s funds.
“We will work together to represent the needs of New Jersey’s commuters and businesses, to a Presidential Administration that does not seem to understand our commuters’ or our economy’s needs,” Codey said.
A copy of Codey’s letter is below:
February 4, 2005
Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to express my profound concerns about your FY06 budget proposal, which reportedly eliminates all operating support for Amtrak. Any such proposal would jeopardize the fragile Northeast Corridor (NEC) railroad infrastructure on which 185,000 New Jersey residents rely for their daily commutes and which numerous businesses, from Fortune 500 companies to small family-owned businesses, rely on for mobility. Starving the NEC of vital investment would have a deleterious impact on traffic congestion, quality of life, New Jersey’s economy, and the economy of the entire Northeast region.
Much of the now fragile NEC infrastructure was built nearly 100 years ago and is obsolete relative to today’s need to support more than the 1,000 commuter and intercity trains operating into and out of the New York terminal on both NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak trains. This vintage infrastructure requires substantial investment to keep pace with modern transportation needs and we in New Jersey are already contributing towards Northeast Corridor reinvestment. Over the last eight years, we have invested nearly $1.3 billion in improvements and new initiatives, while matching Amtrak on a dollar for dollar basis with $255 million in capital funds to renew the New Jersey portion of the NEC.
Adequate operating and capital funding of the Northeast Corridor is critical to protecting the safety and integrity of the railroad, which serves as a vital part of our commuter rail system, as well as an important economic engine for New Jersey and the region. Without the Corridor, New Jersey would have to build 600 lane miles of capacity – three times the length of the Garden State Parkway — for the additional automobile traffic that would be generated. Without the Corridor, Newark International Airport Station would not generate $1 billion in airline ticket revenues from rail passengers. Without the Corridor, commuters would not be able to reach their jobs at some of the region’s largest employers such as Prudential, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Lehman Brothers, inflicting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of economic damage in lost time and productivity. Without the Corridor, small businesses such as newsstands, convenience stores, and cafes would lose $200 million in annual revenues in New Jersey alone.
I strongly urge you to include sufficient capital and operating funding for the Northeast Corridor to be brought to a state of good repair and maintained at the highest possible standards for passenger rail safety and reliability.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Codey
CC: Hon. Norman Mineta
New Jersey Congressional Delegation