FRA, FTA advance Hudson Tunnel project

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) last week jointly issued the final environment-impact statement (FEIS) and record of decision (ROD) for the proposed Hudson Tunnel Project.

Completion of the FEIS and ROD represents the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) commitment to working with New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), in coordination with other project partners including Amtrak and the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) to advance the Hudson Tunnel Project toward final design and construction, according to a USDOT press release.

"This is a big step for the Northeast, and for the entire country, as these tunnels connect so many people, jobs and businesses," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The Hudson Tunnel Project is one component of the Gateway Program. Amtrak, NJ Transit, PANYNJ and the GDC are working with the other project proponents and partners, including the states of New York and New Jersey, to advance other components of the more encompassing Gateway Program.
 
The ROD represents completion of the Federal environmental-review process required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

While no federal funding has been dedicated for the project to date, completion of these two steps is a prerequisite for FRA or FTA to direct future federal funding to advance this project through preconstruction activities such as engineering, final design development and property acquisition, as well as construction, USDOT officials said.

The FEIS and ROD can be accessed on the FRA webpage for the project.