RFP issued for Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel environmental study

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
image description
A visualization of what a future cross harbor rail tunnel could look like.
State of New York

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) issued a Request for Proposals for the Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel Tier II Environmental Impact Study. The study will explore a cross-harbor freight tunnel that would offer New York City a direct link to the national freight rail network.

 

The office of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the freight tunnel was identified during the Tier I study as one of the solutions that would alleviate severe traffic congestion, reduce dependence on aging roads and bridges and solve the region’s freight problem by finally connecting New York City directly to the national freight rail grid.

“After generations of neglect, New York is once again building for the future, and by investing in world-class transportation projects across the state, we drive economic activity and help make our great state even greater,” Gov. Cuomo said.

The tunnel would run between an existing rail yard in the Greenville area of Jersey City to connect with existing rail infrastructure in Brooklyn. PANYNJ has committed up to $35 million for the study and has up to $35 million in additional funds available for further design and engineering.

The governor’s office explains that the Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel would fundamentally help reduce congestion on roads and bridges, improve air quality and reduce asthma, as well as allow better movement of emergency vehicles and buses. The tunnel would remove an estimated 1,800 trucks per day from New York Harbor crossings.

Currently, trucks transport close to 90 percent of the freight in the region, while rail handles two-three percent and most rail freight arrives at points west of New York City with trucks transporting goods to their final destination. The governor’s office says freight to and from the region is expected to increase by at least 37 percent in the next 20 years, which is beyond the capacity of the area’s roadways and threatens economic development.

PANYNJ and the Federal Highway Administration completed a draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement that was published in November 2014, and following public hearings, stakeholder review and comment, a Record of Decision for the Tier 1 was issued by the FHWA in January 2016. The Tier II study will also evaluate an enhancement of the existing railcar float-barge operation.

“The Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel project…will finally connect the New York metropolitan region to the national freight rail grid by removing trucks from our streets and diverting them to the underutilized rail network. It will change the way we move goods throughout our region for the better, with economic, environmental, health, safety and cost saving benefits for millions of people,” said U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

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