After Years of Delays Under Trump, Chair DeFazio Applauds Biden Administration for Advancing Gateway Program, a Major Transit Project with Significant Economic Implications for the Entire Country
WASHINGTON, DC—Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after the Biden administration released the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Hudson Tunnel Project—a major element of the Gateway Program—clearing a key hurdle toward completion after more than three years of purposeful obstruction by the Trump administration. The project sponsors had submitted a draft EIS in early 2018 only to see it languish, leading to delays in the efforts to repair tunnels under the Hudson River damaged during Hurricane Sandy.
“Anyone who complains about red tape and bureaucracy holding back progress on important infrastructure projects should cite the Gateway Program as a prime example,” Chair DeFazio said. “For more than three years, President Trump and his Secretary of Transportation purposely sat on a key document, effectively delaying this major project and adding $300 million in costs. And we’re not out of the woods yet. Until the Gateway project is delivered to completion, we risk billions of dollars in lost economic activity, not to mention the risk of harm to people and property, should the tunnels fail. The Biden administration deserves credit for wasting no time to advance this critical project and push for investments in communities of all sizes in our country—urban, suburban and rural—to move our infrastructure into the modern era, create millions of jobs, and improve people’s lives and protect public safety.”
Background:
In May 2019, Chair DeFazio led a Congressional delegation to see the Hudson Tunnel Project firsthand and urged action on repairs. You can read more here. See photos of the trip here.
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