Bridge and tunnel

In the face of this column’s conclusive proof that NJTransit’s $811 million Portal North Bridge project application (part of the larger Gateway boondoggle) fails to qualify for funding, the Federal Transit Administration has been silent. But we know they’re reading the page: Just this week, Voicer and FTA chief Jane Williams had a letter rebutting an op-ed we published.

In her letter, Williams wrote that another Gateway component, a new Hudson tunnel, “does not meet the requirements under law,” all but promising that it will get failing grades when FTA ratings are published next week.

Well, neither does the Portal North Bridge meet the requirements under law, which for Core Capacity grants is that projects must yield a 10% capacity boost. This replacement bridge produces zero new capacity. The claimed gains are due to NJT using doubledecker rolling stock and longer trains, neither of which has anything to do with any new span.

Williams, a political appointee, must insist the FTA career professionals publicly explain how Portal North Bridge qualifies (which is an impossibility) or why it fails (which is the truth).

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin wrote the legislation creating Core Capacity to help existing transit systems get federal aid when they carry at least 10% more people. That’s what Chicago is doing by acquiring new rights-of-way, what San Francisco’s BART train is doing by improving signal systems, and what Dallas’ light rail is doing by lengthening platforms.

Replacement bridges that add no capacity are ineligible. We’re homers and would welcome federal funding, but fair is fair and rules are rules.