Menendez on Gateway: A National Priority

Statement

The federal leaders are announcing several major milestones involving the President's Permitting Dashboard, the concrete casing portion of the Hudson Yards Right-of-Way Preservation Project, and eligibility for Federal grants and financing for Portal North Bridge and the Hudson Tunnel Project, critical components of the Gateway Program. These key milestones mean that the Gateway Program is moving along at record speed.

"Access to New Starts brings with it the potential for billions of dollars of federal funding--and there's no doubt in my mind that a project with the national significance of Gateway is deserving of that type of commitment," said Sen. Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate's transit subcommittee with oversight of the New Starts program. "I'm pleased that language that I helped author was included in the final transportation bill, making joint transit-rail projects like Gateway eligible for New Starts funding. I'm proud of the commitment this group has made to undertake a difficult effort, because it's the right thing to do for our constituents, for our region, and for our nation as a whole."

"Each day thousands of New Jersey commuters utilize our state's rail infrastructure, making it a critical lifeline for our region's economy," said Sen. Booker, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate subcommittee which oversees America's rail infrastructure. "We must remain committed to providing commuters the transportation system they need and deserve by investing in the Gateway Program, which will help strengthen our economic growth and boost job creation. Our efforts over the past year have elevated Gateway as a national priority and I am pleased to see this continued progress by state and federal partners. Today's announcement moves us closer to securing federal funding for vital projects like Portal Bridge in New Jersey and streamlines the permitting process while being mindful of potential environmental impacts to our communities."

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