(The following editorial appeared on the Trenton Times website on March 22.)
TRENTON, N.J. — Today, all NJ Transit and Amtrak trains that cross the Hudson River between New Jersey and Manhattan must pass through two one-way tunnels built a century ago, operating at capacity and in need of major safety and security renovations. New Jersey officials long have been pushing plans for two new commuter rail tunnels that would double NJ Transit’s ability to bring people in and out of New York City, allowing as many as 24 extra commuter trains an hour to reach a new station below 34th Street.
Last year’s federal transportation bill authorized financial support for the project from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The ultimate $6 billion construction cost will be shared by the feds, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the two state governments. Last week, the project got a major boost when the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council voted to support it.
Support from New York makes great sense. While New Jersey residents would be the principal users of the new tunnels, New York businesses would hugely benefit as well: Three-fourths of the 200,000 jobs expected to be created in Manhattan in the next two decades are expected to be filled by commuters from west of the Hudson. The new tunnels constitute a win-win project for the entire region.