Re: [Env-Balt] Gov. Christie kills NJ-NYC tunnel

[Gerald Neily]

Thanks to Richard Chambers for digging out the NY Times story on this, instead of the pathetic little blurb that was in the Sun:

www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/nyregion/08tunnel.html

Nobody bit at EnvBalt, so I will here:

1 - What this shows is that NJT has far more wherewithal to raise rail improvement money than Amtrak does, but $8 or $9 billion still isn't nearly enough unless you fib about costs like they do with most transit projects.

2 - NJT isn't going to spend its money on high speed rail, or even to preserve and maintain the existing low speed rail system, even though what everyone says they want or need, at least outside northeast Jersey.

3 - At least NJT had a REAL PLAN, unlike that toothless pipe dream report Amtrak just put out that doesn't address any of the real issues.

4 - The Governor of New Jersey has impeccable timing to try to shake down President Obama, Ray LaHood, and the rest of his administration for more money right before the election.

All in all, I'd say this warped situation is a call for what I've been promoting all along - a strong Northeast U.S. Transportation Authority to replace toothless Amtrak. Read about it on my blog:

 

Gerald Neily
www.BaltimoreInnerSpace.blogspot.com

[James Hunt]

On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:17 PM, Gerald Neily <geral...@gmail.com> wrote:

4 - The Governor of New Jersey has impeccable timing to try to shake down President Obama, Ray LaHood, and the rest of his administration for more money right before the election.

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I doubt Chris Christie expects the U.S. gov't to suddenly alter the rules and take N.J.'s place as the entity that picks up the check for cost overruns.