Amtrak Gateway Tunnels

[Gilbert B Norman]

Could this be a breakthrough?

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/us/p ... -plan.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fair Use:

WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional leaders emerged from a meeting at the White House on Tuesday and announced that President Trump had agreed to pursue a $2 trillion infrastructure plan to upgrade the nation’s highways, railroads, bridges and broadband.

[JoeG]

I believe this is a non-starter, unfortunately. Trump and Schumer are long-time personal friends. Undoubtedly, they were able to have a congenial chat with no reporters present. Republicans were notably unenthusiastic when informed of the plan. Besides, how would the $2 trillion be raised? More deficit spending? The Republicans won't go for either a tax increase or more deficit spending. Any big infrastructure plan will have to wait till at least 2021.

[BandA]

Politicians love deficit spending. When is the last time they seriously talked about balancing the budget?

[CHTT1]

In the age of Trump, Republicans don't seem to have problem with deficit spending, check out the tax reform bill.

[JoeG]

The Republicans will vote for deficit spending to allow tax cuts for rich people and corporations. They won't vote for deficit spending for anything else. Also, I wouldn't call the recent tax bill a "reform."

[Tadman]

Check the recent jobs numbers, those aren't all rich people getting jobs. We haven't seen jobs numbers like this in a long time. Too bad Amtrak can't get their act together and put on trains that people will ride to their jobs. Not a lot of bosses will let you take an every other day train or expense a sleeper and hotel for the same night because they get in to town at 3am.

[EuroStar]

There are some people in the House who are again making noise about funding the Tunnels https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/05/we-c ... -tour.html.

“If we do a bill, Gateway can be funded and we don’t have to wait for the next administration,” U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, committee chairman, said Thursday night at Penn Station New York.

Funding can be earmarked in the coming budget year’s appropriations bill and in the renewal of the federal transportation funding act that expires next year, he said.

The one thing that they forget to say is that the chance of any transportation bill being passed any time before the 2020 elections is nil. There is some sort of a hearing today about this, but it is all for show...

[Gilbert B Norman]

An interesting article you note, Mr. EuroStar.

Good to see that there is at least one Member (Rep. DeFazio D-OR4) well out of the region in support of Gateway/Portal. Of course that District, immediately South of Portland, is also mass transit minded.

But what's new; the object of burying GW/P deep in a Spending Bill is a "been there done that". While the 60 vote needed in the Senate or a veto by the President, is not even on the table, both Chambers have Committees and if either whacks that funding, it never gets near the Floor. While I should defer to Col. Perkowski, holder of an MPA degree, even if, say, the House's version contains that line item, and, say, the Senate's does not, there could be a chance in the Joint Reconciliation Committee GW/P be included - and maybe "Mating Habits of the Armadillo" get whacked (sorry, those tenured Professors from Texas - where I think Armadillos are indigenous - will just have to TEACH for another year).

But it sure looks like nothing will be done until one of the existing tunnels springs a leak.

Sad, Sad.

[Ridgefielder]

I'm re-reading Conquering Gotham, the account of the PRR's construction of the New York Tunnels & Terminals extension-- the river tubes, Penn Station, Sunnyside and (with the New Haven) the Hell Gate Bridge.

The thing that jumped out at me this time was just how much political maneuvering the Pennsy had to go through to get the approvals to build the thing in the first place. It took years in the late 1890's/early 1900's. And that was the Standard Railroad of the World doing business in a time when NIMBYism didn't exist and the political culture of Gotham was probably five times more mercenary and corrupt than it is today-- i.e. you'd think they could have rammed it through without a problem.

I think the project is moving forward. Slowly, but its moving. And there's a good reason for that. If one of the tunnels were to fail and be closed down, the public outrage would be something else. The anger would basically incinerate the career of any politician within 100 yards of the project- Democrat, Republican or whatever.

[east point]

I

I think the project is moving forward. Slowly, but its moving. And there's a good reason for that. If one of the tunnels were to fail and be closed down, the public outrage would be something else. The anger would basically incinerate the career of any politician within 100 yards of the project- Democrat, Republican or whatever.

You are probably correct. The public short term memory would blame every politician for not pushing the new bores ?

[JamesRR]

Fairly positive news from House Chairman on Infrastructure

https://www.crainsnewyork.com/politics/ ... um=twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Backshophoss]

Sometimes the only way to get the critters to understand what's need is to show it to them(by "junket" style guided tour).
now they are seeing the urgent need to get Gateway DONE!

[gokeefe]

Most significant news: waiver of the EIS requirement. That is a *major* barrier removed. Billions of dollars saved right there.

[bostontrainguy]

Most significant news: waiver of the EIS requirement. That is a *major* barrier removed. Billions of dollars saved right there.

Yeah, if only that would happen more often we may actually get things done around this country.

[gokeefe]

I would note that this project is a very rare example where waiving the NEPA seems entirely appropriate.

No question of need (making the alternatives analysis pointless), no question of impact mitigation (has to get done), and no question of economic, environmental and energy benefits (obvious benefits on transportation).