New York City’s position as the nation’s financial center, cultural capital, most visited city, media hub, and technology incubator all depend upon the ability for people and commerce to move in and out, easily and without disruption. That is why the Administration should immediately lift its suspension of federal funding for the Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project.
The century-old North River Tunnel carries roughly 425 trains and more than 200,000 passengers each weekday along a corridor that generates 20% of U.S. GDP. Damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and operating beyond its intended lifespan, it represents a single point of failure for the nation’s most economically productive region. When this aging tube falters, the costs ripple through finance, professional services, tourism, and the small businesses that depend on a steady customer and workforce flow.
Gateway is the long-awaited fix, adding new capacity while enabling full rehabilitation of the existing tunnel. Delays impair affordability and hamper growth. A Gateway-commissioned analysis warns that rehabilitating the existing tunnel without the new tunnel in place, requiring one tube out of service for four years, would cost the national economy an estimated $16 billion in lost wages and time, the equivalent of 33,000 jobs per year. That cost will be born in longer and less predictable commutes, reduced labor-market access, and higher operating costs that stymie growth and affordability.
The American economy, and a future powered by innovation, depend upon state-of-the-art infrastructure. Companies and investors place long-term bets that factor in talent access, regional connectivity, and execution predictability. Politicized disruption of essential infrastructure projects compromises American competitiveness and chills investment by creating self-inflicted risks and costs that impair growth.
Infrastructure is not partisan. It is foundational. Companies invest where access to talent, mobility and predictability are reliable. Delays and politicized uncertainty erode confidence, increase risk premiums and weaken American competitiveness.
If the Administration is serious about lowering costs and strengthening growth, Gateway is a clear test. The funding should be restored and the project kept on track.