The Gateway Program is the most urgent infrastructure project in the nation. The North River Tunnels are more than a century old, and due to damage from Superstorm Sandy, remain a critical vulnerability for the Northeast Corridor. Completing the Hudson Tunnel Project is essential to creating a safer, more reliable, and more resilient rail system for the region.

But Gateway should not be viewed solely as a state-of-good-repair project. The region must plan now for the additional rail capacity needed to support future growth. Penn Station already operates under significant constraints, serving hundreds of thousands of passengers, three times its original designed capacity. As the region grows, we will need the infrastructure to support more trains, more passengers, and more reliable service.

The Hudson Tunnel Project is a critical resilience and reliability project as well as the foundation for expanded trans-Hudson rail capacity and a Penn Station capable of supporting substantially more transit service. As we continue to make progress on the Hudson Tunnel Project, we also urge policymakers at all levels of government to continue planning for long-term capacity at Penn Station.

Investing in Gateway and Penn Station’s future capacity will strengthen the regional economy, improve transit service and make the Northeast Corridor more resilient and sustainable.

We commend the Gateway Development Commission for continuing to advance the Gateway Program and call on policymakers to maximize this investment and plan for building the capacity we will need for the region’s future.