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Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) released a statement endorsing Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joe Lhota’s support for Amtrak’s Gateway Tunnel project under the Hudson River.

“As we look at the transportation challenges ahead, Amtrak’s Gateway Tunnel is the best option for New Jersey commuters and the entire region,” Lautenberg said in the statement. “We already secured $15 million in federal funds for the Gateway project and we will continue pushing this project forward. The existing tunnel cannot keep up with commuters’ needs, and we need a solution as soon as possible.”

The existing 100-year-old rail tunnels into midtown Manhattan are operating at capacity during rush hour, and ridership is expected to double in the next two decades.

In remarks to business leaders yesterday, Lhota said that a proposed extension of MTA New York City Transit's No. 7 subway line to New Jersey won’t occur “in anybody’s lifetime” due to its cost, which leaves the Gateway Tunnel project the only alternative, according to New York City-area news reports.