I’m Brian Fritsch, Campaign Manager for the Build Gateway Now Coalition. Build Gateway Now is a coalition of over 40 civic, labor, business, and elected groups from who know Gateway is the nation’s most urgent infrastructure project and an absolutely vital one for the health of the already fragile regional and national economies.

Since the last GDC board meeting, the Build Gateway Now coalition has been very active supporting the project in a variety of ways, including a press conference at Penn Station, press releases, new original research, discussions with Congressmembers and their staffs in D.C., continued social media engagement, and a variety of other work. We were very pleased to see key parts of the project, especially the positive news regarding the Portal North Bridge, move forward during this time period.

However, during this unprecedented health crisis that our nation faces, it has been clear that we cannot continue doing business as usual. As GDC partner organizations face massive operating losses as ridership necessarily plunges for the sake of public safety, we strongly believe in the need for another influx of operational funding to the agencies to continue to allow our mass transit systems to function safely and get essential workers to and from their needed jobs.

For New York and New Jersey to function and help the region get back to work, we know we must lend the agencies our support. That’s why the coalition has been busy organizing sign-on letters, contacting legislators, and speaking to the press about the critical need for another round of federal assistance in the near-term. We recently authored a report, entitled Essential Service, which documents the bad options regional transit systems have if they do not receive emergency operating aid from Congress.

But we cannot stop with just operating relief. We believe that the Gateway Program is uniquely situated to be the cornerstone of an infrastructure stimulus bill that can help get the national economy back on track following the pain and misery caused by the Coronavirus. As we begin to recover, the need to ensure the free flow of people and business that’s linked to 20% of the nation’s economy will never be greater. We will not be secure in our economic future without a new tunnel under the Hudson River. Without it, there will always be a risk that the existing tunnel will reach the end of its useful life, and a key tie under the Hudson will be severed. We must act now.

Many thanks to the members of the GDC Board for your service and the opportunity to submit public comment.