Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

  • FTA Sends Bill to NJT

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    Donald Winship

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    The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has sent a bill to New Jersey Transit for $271 million for money advanced to the agency for work on the ARC Project, which Gov. Christie scrapped last month. NJT Executive Director James Weinstein disputed the bill and also said that there will not be a fare increase to raise…

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  • Amtrak Says Joint Tunnel with NJT is Dead

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    Donald Winship

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    Late Thursday, November 11, Amtrak officials said that any talks with NJ Transit on a joint new tunnel under the Hudson are dead, according to the Bergen Record, reported by Karen Rouse. “We are no longer interested in this project,” said Vernae Graham, spokeswoman for Amtrak. “There were exploratory talks going on with NJ Transit,”…

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  • Lackawanna Coalition Statement on ARC Cancellation

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    Donald Winship

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    Advocates for the Moynihan/Penn Station First alternative to the “deep-cavern” ARC project plan look forward to the opportunity to work with the Christie administration, NJ Transit, Amtrak, New York, and other regional players on development of an affordable, yet improved alternate plan for ARC, based on previous environmental and planning studies, that is advanced rapidly…

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  • Christie Cancels Tunnel

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    Donald Winship

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    WNYC reported at noon Wednesday that N.J. Gov. Christie has reaffirmed his decision to cancel the ARC tunnel. This follows a 2-week period in which the Christie administration was reconsidering its earlier decision to cancel the project. WNYC reporter Matthew Scheuermann said on the station’s 12:00 p.m. newscast that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had offered…

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  • Columnist Criticizes Lautenberg for Continuing to Defend Deep-Cavern Proposal

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    Donald Winship

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    Partisan politics appears to be heating up over the issue of the ARC Project with New Jersey Transit’s proposed deep-cavern terminal under 34th Street in Manhattan, which Gov. Christie has said will not be built. Asbury Park Press columnist Bob Ingle criticized Senator Frank Lautenberg for continuing to defend the proposal to build a deep-cavern…

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  • “Times” Letter Explains Need to Delay ARC

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    Donald Winship

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    James P. RePass, chairman of The National Corridors Initiative, in a letter published in The New York Times on October 15, explained some reasons why the ARC trans-Hudson tunnel needs to be postponed, pending redesign.  In response to a Times Op-Ed column on Oct. 8 by Paul Krugman, which decried NJ Gov. Christie’s decision to kill the tunnel (since…

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  • Tunnel Debate Continues

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    Donald Winship

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    New York MTA Chairman Jay Walder reportedly said on October 13 (at a Crain’s Business Breakfast Forum) that if New Jersey doesn’t want the $3 billion allocated for the ARC tunnel, the MTA will be looking to secure some of the funds for its own needs. (Reported on WNYC.)  Meanwhile, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) held…

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  • Gov Considering ARC Alternatives

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    Donald Winship

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    Yesterday, Gov. Christie ordered that the ARC Project, with its deep-cavern terminal, be shut down.  Today, he met with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and softened his position, agreeing to submit the issue to a study group from US DOT and NJ Transit. Still, the Governor held his ground on the cost issue.  He…

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  • Coalition Statement on Killing of ARC

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    Donald Winship

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    We agree with Gov. Christie and his administration that the ARC project as proposed was too expensive, and it was flawed.  It did not allow connectivity at Penn Station, and it could not be extended to the East Side.  The organizations representing New Jesey’s rail riders raised these issues, and we were heard and believed. New…

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  • NJ Gov Christie Kills ARC Tunnel

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    Donald Winship

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    At a 1:30 p.m. news conference on October 7, NJ Gov. Chris Christie announced that the long-planned trans-Hudson rail-tunnel construction project will be terminated; the Governor said that the original estimated cost of $8.7 billion might actually balloon to $11–14 billion, an amount that he said New Jersey could not afford.  About $600 million had…

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