(The following editorial was posted on the Trenton Times website on May 21.)
TRENTON, N.J. — George Warrington, executive director of NJ Transit, calls it “the most important project in 100 years” in transportation for New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. Gov. Corzine says he is “absolutely committed to that project, and it will happen” in 2009, the year he may well be seeking a second term in office.
They were describing the $6 billion Trans-Hudson (THE) Tunnel, which will be a second railroad link between North Jersey and Manhattan that will supplement the single century-old tunnel through which all Amtrak and NJ Transit trains now cross the Hudson River. Officials and community leaders in New Jersey and New York are united in their enthusiasm for the project, which will be funded by the two states, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the federal government. Preliminary studies already are under way, and Mr. Warrington’s agency will hire an engineer in July to lay out the facility’s full alignment and approaches.
Leaders of the past envisioned, planned and delivered great public works projects that we now take for granted, such as the Lincoln Tunnel, the George Washington Bridge and the Verrazano Bridge. THE Tunnel is in the same league.