R.I.P. redux: Trans-Hudson Tunnel

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today again canceled the proposed trans-Hudson rail tunnel, dubbed Access to the Region’s Core (ARC), based in large measure on concerns over cost overruns. The project, initially estimated to cost $6 billion, most recently was pegged at $8.7 billion, with additional increases in the cost deemed likely, though politicians, rail advocates, and other have sparred over just how much more the project might cost.

The governor (pictured at left) voiced concerns primarily over New Jersey’s liability for cost overruns. Critics of the governor said he had no proof of cost overruns he advanced in debate. But such criticism overlooked the cost overruns already established since the plan, in its current form, was formulated roughly in 2003.

The project envisioned a roughly six-mile, two-track rail extension parallel to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) beginning in the New Jersey Meadowlands and terminating at a stub-end terminal at 34th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, underneath Macy’s flagship store. Proponents said such an alignment was the only cost-effective option; critics and/or opponents decried the scaling back of the project’s initial vision, which included access through Manhattan to New England states and a possible link with New York’s Grand Central Terminal—in essence bolstering the NEC’s capacity through the New York metropolitan area. They also noted the plan, as advanced by NJ Transit, was anything but cost-effective, as ambitions were scaled back even as cost estimates rose significantly.

Gov. Christie, a Republican, first announced cancellation of the ARC project October 7, but postponed final judgment pending discussions with officials from New Jersey Transit and the federal Department of Transportation. Democratic supporters of ARC, including New Jersey’s two U.S. senators, decried the loss of jobs generated by the project and accused Gov. Christie of lacking vision.