By The Editorial Board, New York Daily News; October 7, 2019
Forty five days ago, on Aug. 23, the Port Authority, hopelessly trying to advance Amtrak’s $30 billion Gateway boondoggle, submitted an application to the Federal Transit Administration for a competitive $5.4 billion New Starts grant for a new passenger rail tunnel under the Hudson (total cost: $9.5 billion) and to repair the existing tubes that were waterlogged by Superstorm Sandy ($1.8 billion).
Normally, 45 days brings the deadline by which the feds must notify Congress and the Port if the application meets the law’s requirements. We’ll make it easy for them: The proposed tunnel doesn’t qualify. Not even close. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Acting FTA chief Jane Williams and New York FTA Regional Administrator Stephen Goodman should dismiss the request out of hand.