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Commuters have every right to expect Chris Christie to replace the $3 billion and fix the trans-Hudson rail capacity problem.

(William Perlman/The Star-Ledger)

It may have been little-noticed, but it was historic nonetheless. For what may be the first time in recorded history, a New York politician took an interest in making it easier for New Jerseyans to cross the Hudson River.

The astonishing event occurred earlier this month. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) led the charge to set aside some Hurricane Sandy relief money to lay the groundwork for two new rail tunnels that will eventually connect Penn Station in New York with its counterpart here in Newark — assuming, of course, we get some adult leadership on the issue.

That’s a big assumption. Politicians on both sides of the river have a history of elevating their parochial interests about the region’s transportation needs.

It was resistance on the New York side that led to the demise of the original ARC plan. That plan would have created "Access to the Region’s Core" by running two tunnels across the Hudson, making it possible for New Jersey commuters to ride directly to Grand Central Terminal — the "core" in question.

But as plans shifted and New Jersey's costs rose,

Gov. Chris Christie canceled the ARC tunnel project altogether shortly after taking office in 2010. That might have made sense if he had a better plan.

Instead, Christie took the money and ran. He used

$3 billion earmarked for ARC to shore up the Transportation Trust Fund, permitting him to brag that he hasn't raised our gas tax — a hollow boast, given his penchant for filling the fund with money provided by toll hikes.

Rail commuters have every right to expect Christie to replace that $3 billion and fix the trans-Hudson rail capacity problems once addressed by ARC. Schumer has gotten that effort off to a great start.

He got $185 million in flood mitigation money dedicated for a tunnel that would connect New York Penn Station to the area near the Hudson River where trains would eventually cross from New Jersey. Now it's up to Christie to get that tunnel plan started again. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line would share those tunnels and should pick up part of the bill.

In the absence of leadership from Trenton, rail advocates have come up with an interesting idea to get the plan moving. Joe Clift and James Raleigh devised "A Better Gateway Project for New Jersey: Sooner, Cheaper and on to Grand Central."

Their plan’s central idea is simple: Get one tunnel started now. Worry about the rest later.

Adding a third tunnel could solve most of our current problems at minimal cost. For a little more than $1 billion, that tunnel would let NJ Transit run trains through two tunnels into Manhattan during the morning rush, and two tunnels out during in the evening. That creates a lot of capacity quickly.

Where does the money come from? Clift suggests the state use some of its Sandy mitigation funding as seed money. But having pocketed $3 billion, Christie is obligated to finish the job. If he’s got a better plan, let’s hear it.

The New York senator has done his part. It’s time for leadership on this side of the river.

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