Amtrak to build build New York-New Jersey tunnel link

[K1052]

I'm all for mass transit, especially in congested urban areas, but I don't see why NJ should get a free ride on this. A project was already in place calling for NJ to pay a portion. A project which took years to set up and was on the eve of starting construction. Now we are supposed to start over with the fed paying the entire bill in order not to offend NJ's current governor's small government philosophy? Fuck'em, they made their bed let them lie in it.

If Amtrack wants to approve the access out of NYC towards CT, I'm all for it and we will pay our fair share-and enjoy the increased business.

Christie is going to have to kick in funding and the expansion will provide less room for NJT than the project he killed would have. The ARC project wouldn't have provided any additional capacity for Amtrak. With it dead NJT has no choice but to go in with the Amtrak expansion if they want to see additional service into Manhattan anytime within the next 50 years. Then again Amtrak could decide that they want it all for them selves and let Christie and NJ residents twist in the wind.

The Northeast Corridor should be our top rail priority. Particularly since all NYC area airports are at capacity and can't take anymore regional traffic creating a huge choke point. The Port Authority is looking at a $15B tab minimum to expand Libery - Newark and JFK (the JFK expansion will also require an act of Congress).

 

[Blackjack200]

Christie is going to have to kick in funding and the expansion will provide less room for NJT than the project he killed would have. The ARC project wouldn't have provided any additional capacity for Amtrak. With it dead NJT has no choice but to go in with the Amtrak expansion if they want to see additional service into Manhattan anytime within the next 50 years. Then again Amtrak could decide that they want it all for them selves and let Christie and NJ residents twist in the wind.

The Northeast Corridor should be our top rail priority. Particularly since all NYC area airports are at capacity and can't take anymore regional traffic creating a huge choke point. The Port Authority is looking at a $15B tab minimum to expand Libery - Newark and JFK (the JFK expansion will also require an act of Congress).

Seems like NJ benefits no matter who is using the tubes though. So would Amtrak start carrying New Jersey communters into Manhatten then?

 

[K1052]

Seems like NJ benefits no matter who is using the tubes though. So would Amtrak start carrying New Jersey communters into Manhatten than?

If Amtrak started poaching the NJT ridership as part of an expansion of the NEC that would add money to Amtrak's bottom line since the NEC is actually a profitable service.

I have a feeling Amtrak is also going to reserve nearly all the best time slots in any new tunnel feeding into Penn station for themselves. Christie is going to try to sell this as he was right but what NJT is going to get is a lot less than had he carried out ARC.

NJ is going to be up against a huge expansion underneath Grand Central (East Side Access project) that will nearly double the capacity of the Long Island Rail Road into Midtown by 2016 and shorten commutes from LI by 10-20 minutes. Consequently Long Island will be a much more competitive choice for residents than NJ has been.

 

[Darwin333]

NJ and NY are 50th and 42nd respectively in terms of leaching off of other states, so fuck it. give us some share of the pork for once.

Out of curiosity, is fraud against NY state law?

 

[Darwin333]

I'm all for mass transit, especially in congested urban areas, but I don't see why NJ should get a free ride on this. A project was already in place calling for NJ to pay a portion. A project which took years to set up and was on the eve of starting construction. Now we are supposed to start over with the fed paying the entire bill in order not to offend NJ's current governor's small government philosophy? Fuck'em, they made their bed let them lie in it.

If Amtrack wants to approve the access out of NYC towards CT, I'm all for it and we will pay our fair share-and enjoy the increased business.

From what I understand, NJ was/is broke. Kinda hard to get pissy at someone for not spending what they don't have. States, unlike the Fed, can't print money and purchase their own bonds to artificially keep their costs of borrowing low.

 

[nageov3t]

Out of curiosity, is fraud against NY state law?

I believe the official policy is that it depends on who you're related to.

 

[Throckmorton]

So you want a bankrupt nation to pay for your comfort?

Right, because a fucking tunnel will bankrupt the nation? Here's a news flash for you-- we all need big cities like NYC to function, just like we need rural farming to function. That's why we pay for highways in Kansas.