Funding to replace a critical Amtrak rail bridge stuck in Gateway stalemate with Trump

A key bridge that funnels tens of thousands of New Jersey commuters into New York's Penn Station was temporarily stuck open Friday morning.

The timing might have been appropriate, as officials on both sides of the Hudson River are locked in a battle with the Trump administration over funding for its replacement.

"This morning is an example of what happens to commuters and the economy when the federal government is missing in action," said Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement.

As Amtrak wrestled to close the troublesome 108-year-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River, those leaders defiantly predicted that the billions of federal dollars they need to build a new bridge, and a new tunnel under the Hudson, would come.

John Porcari, the interim executive director of the Gateway Development Corp., called the need to replace the aging bridge and tunnel "an urgent issue of regional and national significance."

The bridge occasionally becomes stuck, but the tunnel is deteriorating from damage it sustained during the storm surge from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Gateway's supporters argue that shutting it down for repairs would have a devastating impact on not just the local but also the national economy.

"The fundamental need for Gateway was accelerated after Hurricane Sandy," Porcari said. "There is no alternative route."

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The Trump administration sees it differently.

Testifying before Congress last week, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said President Donald Trump had concerns about the project's viability and that New Jersey and New York had "no skin in the game."

In a December letter, a Federal Transit Administration official described Gateway as a "local project" where nine out of 10 passengers were "local transit riders."

The states are expecting the feds to pick up half the cost of the new bridge and tunnel, the first phase of what's called the Gateway Project. The states plan to finance the other half of the roughly $13 billion cost with two types of federal loan programs.

In a reversal from the Obama administration, Trump's White House does not count the loans as the states' share of the cost. Further, the Federal Transit Administration downgraded the ratings for the bridge and assigned a low rating for the tunnel.

"We believe the downgrade was not justified," Porcari said.

Gateway Development Corp. officials insist the loans, totaling $5.5 billion, count as local funding, much as they did for other projects across the country.

"We have to pay back 100 percent of the loan," said Francis Sacr, Gateway's interim finance director. "There are commitments from each of the local partners to pay back the loan."

Porcari, a former U.S. deputy secretary of transportation and Maryland transportation secretary, said the federal government pays for 80 percent of interstate highway and 90 percent of airport projects. Gateway, he said, was fundamentally different.

"We're starting from zero," he said.

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It's not clear though, how the project can move forward in the current political environment.

Trump opposes funding for the project, and in spite of pressure from Republicans and Democrats from New York and New Jersey, the money could be excluded from an omnibus spending bill that lawmakers will vote on next week.

Some observers think Gateway has become a bargaining chip for Trump to get something he wants from Democrats, particularly Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

The stalemate has given a boost to critics who say the project has become too expensive and won't create capacity for more trains under the Hudson River.

"You’re stuck in Washington. Scrap the plan," said Joe Clift, a former planning director for the Long Island Rail Road.

Clift said that replacing the old two-track bridge with a new two-track bridge creates no room for additional trains and urged planners to go back to the drawing board and design a four-track bridge instead.

"You need more tracks," Clift said. "Design a bridge that’s going to work for what you need."

Dani Simons, vice president for strategic communications at the Regional Plan Association, rejected the Trump administration's arguments or any proposals to scale back the project.

"The states already have significant skin in the game," she said. "These repairs can't come soon enough."

Amtrak Chairman Anthony Coscia said Friday's problem with the Portal Bridge showed the urgency of getting the project underway. .

"The bridge is not functional for the purpose it serves," he said.