Washington, DC — Larry I. Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in response to yesterday’s announcement by Governors Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie that New York and New Jersey will contribute $5.6 billion toward the proposed Gateway rail tunnel project:
“Completion of the Gateway rail tunnel project is critical not only for those who live and work in the Northeast Corridor, but for the entire economy. The Northeast Corridor supports 30 percent of the nation’s jobs and contributes to 20 percent of our GDP, yet is forced to rely on infrastructure that is more than a century old.
“The delays caused by outdated, damaged Amtrak tunnels have already resulted in massive losses of both time and money that working families can no longer afford. Slow walking this project will only exacerbate these problems and lead to missed opportunities to create and sustain the kinds of good jobs that can propel working people into the middle class.
“The funding commitments made yesterday by New York and New Jersey mark an important step in rebuilding one of the most essential economic and transportation throughways in our country. The administration – which has placed an emphasis on infrastructure investment – must now lead efforts to ensure the federal government can meet its funding responsibility.”