Move NY&NJ

Mayor Bloomberg Calls Cross-Harbor Tunnel a 'Great Long-Term Solution'

MOVE NY&NJ applauds stance, says Tunnel will bring thousands of jobs, environmental benefits and increased security to the New York region

July 21, 2009

Move NY&NJ — a broad coalition of leaders from the region's business, labor and environmental communities — today hailed Mayor Bloomberg's announcement in support of the Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel.

At a press event in Sunset Park, Brooklyn yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg announced, "The City is working with the Port Authority and the federal government on the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Environmental Impact Statement, the goal of which is to identify the best way to get even more freight onto rail and off of the roads. A rail freight tunnel across the harbor, long advocated by Congressman Nadler and Senator Schumer, is a great long-term solution, provided that it is financially supportable and the local impacts can be adequately mitigated. For our part, the City is supporting Congressman Nadler and Senator Schumer's efforts to secure the necessary federal funding."

Mayor Bloomberg made his remarks at an event announcing programs to expand the reactivation of Brooklyn's working waterfront, where the Mayor was joined by supporters of the Cross Harbor Tunnel, including Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velazquez, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Carl Hum, among others.

Leaders of the Move NY & NJ Coalition applauded the Mayor's position as vital to the future of an economically and environmentally sound region.

Jim Tripp, Move NY & NJ Co-Chair and General Counsel of the Environmental Defense Fund, said "As issues of global warming, dependence on foreign oil and the difficult economic climate rise to the fore of the national debate, we must remain keenly aware of the precarious future that our local region faces. Freight volumes are projected to increase more than 70% by 2025 — and significant improvements in the freight rail system, including the Cross Harbor Tunnel, are urgently required to address the goals of efficient freight mobility, improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions. The Mayor's support represents a returned focus to addressing this pressing problem."

The Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel, to be built underneath New York Harbor, will link the nation's rail system ending in New Jersey with existing rail lines east of the Hudson. The Tunnel, coupled with other major improvements in the region's freight rail system, will allow more goods to move by rail rather than truck, and offers a safer, more efficient, sustainable way to move goods into and out of the New York metropolitan area. Goods coming into the region will be able to move directly across the Hudson River from the west and continue by rail to points much closer to their final destination, whether in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Westchester or Connecticut. The Tunnel will also improve the region's air quality by reducing highway congestion and truck emissions.

The Port Authority of NY & NJ is in the process of examining existing constraints within the region's freight rail system and developing their plan for moving forward. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project, which will include updated market data and a full public review of the project, is currently underway, with initial data expected to be released in 2010.

At the same time, the Port is also making a set of investments totaling $80 million to improve freight movement in the region while a more comprehensive solution is identified. These investments include the purchase of the New York & New Jersey Rail Road and clearance improvements along freight lines in New York. The centerpiece of the project is the construction of the Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel. The Tunnel, coupled with other major improvements in the region's freight rail system, will allow more goods to move by rail rather than truck, and offers a safer, more efficient, sustainable way to move goods into and out of the New York metropolitan area. The Tunnel will also improve the region's air quality by reducing highway congestion and truck emissions.

"This is an important moment for the Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel. With the Mayor's support, we're more confident than ever that the unparalleled benefits that building the tunnel will bring to the region — through economic development, air quality improvement, traffic reduction and increased security — will be realized," said Robert Yaro, Executive Director of the Regional Plan Association and Move NY & NJ Co-Chair.