Gov. Christie to kill N.Y.-N.J. rail tunnel project...with updates

[Rheo]

NJ.com:

Two senior officials say Gov. Chris Christie today will kill the controversial $8.7 billion Hudson River rail tunnel project, which he says the state cannot afford to build.

According to the sources, the governor plans to announce other transportation initiatives that would allow New Jersey to keep the $3 billion in federal money already earmarked for the tunnel project, rather than return it.

The governor has scheduled a 1:30 p.m. press conference.

Christie put a freeze on the project last month after federal officials said escalating costs could mean more than $1 billion in overruns, leading to increasing speculation that the governor would pull the plug.

The tunnel, the largest public works project in the U.S., was to double train capacity between New Jersey and midtown Manhattan when it was completed by the end of 2018.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who has been trying to keep the tunnel project on track, has called a rebuttal news conference for 3 p.m. outside Newark Penn Station, anticipating the cancellation by the governor.

“Canceling the tunnel project is not just bad transportation policy – it’s bad fiscal policy,” Lautenberg said in a statement earlier today.

[Stella]

OMG! We have someone who wants to live within a budget. I recall Kennedy and his gazillion dollar tunnel in Boston to the airport. It was a moneypit like all these projects turn into.

[pollyannaish]

This man is my hero.

 

TAKE care of what you have, rather than spend money because you can on projects likely to cost you more money than you have.

 

I am very tired of our throw away mentality.

 

We used to build things in this country to make a better tomorrow. But we seem too lazy to do the maintenance. We'd rather spend our children's money for bright shiny new things now. Things that will be abandoned when we get tired of them.

 

I am starting to sound old...but we build nothing with an eye on it lasting for generations...from houses to businesses to children. It's all about the quick buck, the quick fix, the instant gratification.

 

Take care of those existing roads and bridges Governor Christie. It's the right thing to do.

[clearvision]

As if the unions did not hate him enough...

[clearvision]

New Jersey's senior U.S. senator says taxpayers could owe $300 million to the federal government if Gov. Chris Christie scraps a commuter rail tunnel to Manhattan.

 

Sen. Frank Lautenberg says canceling the $8.7 billion tunnel would violate an agreement with the feds in which New Jersey committed itself to the project in exchange for $3 billion in federal funding.

 

Lautenberg, a Democratic proponent of the tunnel, says the government would be entitled to collect interest and penalties as well.

[spikeytx86]

I generally have supported him and his boldness standing up to the unions and other special interests in the area but this does seem a little short sighted. Rail is heavily utilized in the North East, espescially in the NYC metro area, and building the tunnel does seem like a legitimate infrastructure project and would be a good long term investment that would pay off in the long run.

 

I could see delaying it a year or two until the fiscal picture improves, but scrapping the project seems a little short sighted.

[clearvision]

Mr. Yaro said it was uncertain whether Mr. Christie would be able to use elsewhere the $3 billion that has been pledged by the Port Authority, which is jointly controlled by the governors of the two states.

 

“He’ll have to cut a deal with the next governor of New York to do that,” he said, “and I suspect that Andrew Cuomo or Carl Paladino would have some other ideas on how to spend that money.”

 

I wonder if this could have anything to do with Paladino's TV time scheduled for later today. Not sure it would be worth the time he has supposedly tied up.

[Guest areafiftyone]

LOL! The media had said to Christie that Bloomberg was all for the Rail Tunnel and Christie replied "Good - tell him to send me a check!"

[clearvision]

And while we acknowledge that the love of all-things infrastructure is overblown, some projects can be readily identified as good investments. And this is one, especially when you consider how much of the project's funds -- $3 billion of the $8.7 billion it will cost -- is coming from the Federal government.

 

Hey that's some of my money your talking about spending...

[Guest areafiftyone]

Mr. Yaro said it was uncertain whether Mr. Christie would be able to use elsewhere the $3 billion that has been pledged by the Port Authority, which is jointly controlled by the governors of the two states.

 

“He’ll have to cut a deal with the next governor of New York to do that,” he said, “and I suspect that Andrew Cuomo or Carl Paladino would have some other ideas on how to spend that money.”

 

I wonder if this could have anything to do with Paladino's TV time scheduled for later today. Not sure it would be worth the time he has supposedly tied up.

 

For his sake I hope it has nothing to do with Andrew Cuomo and infidelity. He did say he would show proof of it. Crossing my fingers he doesn't do anything stupid like that.

[AceRimmer]

OMG! We have someone who wants to live within a budget. I recall Kennedy and his gazillion dollar tunnel in Boston to the airport. It was a moneypit like all these projects turn into.

 

I remember reading nightmarish stories about "The Big Dig". Everything from massive cost overruns to being way behind schedule, and then they didn't name it after the U-Boat Commander, but Ted Williams instead.

 

NJ/NY can expect the same mess.

 

The Big Dig

[spikeytx86]

And while we acknowledge that the love of all-things infrastructure is overblown, some projects can be readily identified as good investments. And this is one, especially when you consider how much of the project's funds -- $3 billion of the $8.7 billion it will cost -- is coming from the Federal government.

 

Hey that's some of my money your talking about spending...

 

In fairness we have gotten a $1 billion worth of federal funding for Houston's light rail line.

[Casino67]

And while we acknowledge that the love of all-things infrastructure is overblown, some projects can be readily identified as good investments. And this is one, especially when you consider how much of the project's funds -- $3 billion of the $8.7 billion it will cost -- is coming from the Federal government.

 

Hey that's some of my money your talking about spending...

 

In fairness we have gotten a $1 billion worth of federal funding for Houston's light rail line.

 

Tell me when a project of this size comes in on budget? IMO it shows that Chris isn't owned by any special interest, read Union.

[Argyle58]

I generally have supported him and his boldness standing up to the unions and other special interests in the area but this does seem a little short sighted. Rail is heavily utilized in the North East, espescially in the NYC metro area, and building the tunnel does seem like a legitimate infrastructure project and would be a good long term investment that would pay off in the long run.

 

I could see delaying it a year or two until the fiscal picture improves, but scrapping the project seems a little short sighted.

 

$8.7 billion is the estimated cost of the project.....how many government building projects come in under projected cost? Last one I heard of was the Panama Canal.

[Casino67]

I generally have supported him and his boldness standing up to the unions and other special interests in the area but this does seem a little short sighted. Rail is heavily utilized in the North East, espescially in the NYC metro area, and building the tunnel does seem like a legitimate infrastructure project and would be a good long term investment that would pay off in the long run.

 

I could see delaying it a year or two until the fiscal picture improves, but scrapping the project seems a little short sighted.

 

$8.7 billion is the estimated cost of the project.....how many government building projects come in under projected cost? Last one I heard of was the Panama Canal.

Was the Panama Canal a union job?

[clearvision]

I generally have supported him and his boldness standing up to the unions and other special interests in the area but this does seem a little short sighted. Rail is heavily utilized in the North East, espescially in the NYC metro area, and building the tunnel does seem like a legitimate infrastructure project and would be a good long term investment that would pay off in the long run.

 

I could see delaying it a year or two until the fiscal picture improves, but scrapping the project seems a little short sighted.

 

$8.7 billion is the estimated cost of the project.....how many government building projects come in under projected cost? Last one I heard of was the Panama Canal.

The new estimate he got was between 11B and 14B of which NJ would have to pick up all the difference.

[AceRimmer]

Was the Panama Canal a union job?

 

If it had been, they'd still be trying to finish it.

[Rheo]

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie agrees to reconsider Hudson River tunnel project

 

A day after Gov. Chris Christie axed the $8.7 billion Hudson River rail tunnel project over its soaring costs, a reprieve of sorts was granted.

 

Following a meeting in Trenton this afternoon with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the governor agreed to take a second look at the project.

 

LaHood, in a statement, said, "Governor Christie and I had a good discussion this afternoon, during which I presented a number of options for continuing the ARC tunnel project. We agreed to put together a small working group from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the office of NJ Transit Executive Director Jim Weinstein that will review these options and provide a report to Governor Christie within two weeks."

 

State officials said the temporary hold does not mean a reversal of Christie's decision Thursday to cancel the so called Access to the Region's Core (ARC) Tunnel project. They said the project is going to continue winding down. But the governor agreed to a two-week evaluation to look at various scenarios.

[pollyannaish]

Heh. The man is so brilliant.

 

I can tell you this: I would NEVER want to be on the other side of a negotiating table from him.

[Rheo]

Heh. The man is so brilliant.

 

I can tell you this: I would NEVER want to be on the other side of a negotiating table from him.

Me either. Would love to be in the room to listen to it though. How fascinating that would be.

[kevindavis]

I wish he would run for President..

[nickydog]

Me, too!