Trump transportation chief calls Gateway tunnel 'absolute priority'

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao called the Gateway Tunnel project under the Hudson River "an absolute priority" even though President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts off an important source of federal funding for it.

"We have kept a very close eye on this," Chao told the Senate Environment and Pubilc Works Committee Wednesday. "Gateway is an absolute priority in terms of our focus. We understand what is happening there."


Chao was asked about Gateway by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who earlier joined with Gov. Chris Christie and invited her to tour the existing Amtrak tunnels, which eventually have to be closed to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

"If we have to pull one of those tunnels out of service, that would literally cause a traffic Armageddon in the region," Booker told Chao. "That's the level of urgency that we have before us."

Chao -- who acknowledged at the Senate hearing that she, too, has faced delays on Amtrak -- has accepted an invitation to come to New Jersey, said Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-10th Dist.).


Trump's spending plan for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 limit federal funds under the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Program, also known as "New Starts," to projects with contracts already in place.

Since Gateway is not at that stage, it would be ineligible for federal support under that program.

That would leave a gaping hole in funding for the $20 billion project to construct two new rail tunnels under the Hudson River and rebuild the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River.

Trump has talked about spending $1 billion on public works projects, so Gateway could be funded that way.

"The Trump administration is actively working on its proposal to revitalize America's infrastructure," Chao wrote to Booker last month. "The needs of large scale projects, such as Gateway, are a major consideration as the details are being worked out."

Before Trump, a New York native, was elected, the federal government had agreed to pay half the cost of Gateway. Chao acknowledged at her confirmation hearing that "any project in New York, New Jersey would be very important going into the future."

At a press conference outside the Capitol to mark Infrastructure Week, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1st Dist.) questioned whether Trump's proposed 13 percent cut in transportation funding would stand.

"It's Congress that appropriates the money," Norcross said.


Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) also acknowledged that reducing federal spending on transportation has little support on his side of the aisle as well.

"Where we're going to be is probably going to be different," he said. "This is going to create jobs."

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/watch_trump_transportation_official_tells_booker_that_gateway_is_absolute_priority.html