This is what New York City needs
Brooklyn: Your editorial “The right way, not Gateway” (Sept. 13) continues the Daily News’ bewildering obsession with derailing the Gateway Program despite well-researched evidence demonstrating the importance of the project to the greater New York City region. The Hudson Tunnel Project will prevent a $16 billion hit to the national economy while creating more than 70,000 jobs and generating in excess of $19 billion in positive economic activity.
The editorial falsely claims the Port Authority’s commitment of $2.7 billion has not been budgeted. That’s clearly not the case. During the adoption of the 2017-26 Capital Plan, its subsequent reassessment and a June 2018 resolution by the PA Board of Commissioners, the funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project was affirmed within parameters acceptable to the federal government under a rational administration. To claim otherwise is nonsense.
The myopic view of The News needs to recognize history. It’s just over 10 years since the Chris Christie administration pulled out of the ARC project, which would be close to finished by now. Going back to the drawing board on the Gateway Program would set the project back another five years or more. The cost of such a delay would be enormous.
Enough with the delays. Let’s build a project that will improve the region logistically, economically and environmentally. Brian Fritsch
campaign manager, Build Gateway Now