August 20, 2015
By Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
For the past several weeks there has been much discussion about building a new cross Hudson tunnel. I am excited by the dialogue, and I am encouraged by the positive statement issued following today’s meeting held by Senator Booker for the New Jersey delegation and the federal government. It appears all parties are on the same page: the key to moving forward is obtaining federal grant support for the project.
Senator Schumer was correct last week when he called for the federal government to recognize the tunnel as a national priority and stated that the federal government must contribute the “maximum amount possible” to its construction.
I think we all recognize the need to make up for years of discussions that did not produce tangible forward progress. I believe deeply in the need for this country and my state and region to invest in new infrastructure to maintain our economic prowess, and I stand ready to expedite any and all state processes to move this project forward. We in New York have invested in major road reconstruction, undertaken the largest single bridge project in the country in decades with the Tappan Zee Bridge and announced the only total reconstruction of a major airport in the country today.
In the same vein, I strongly support the construction of the new Hudson River tunnel – and a federal grant package that makes the project viable is an essential first step.”
