Good morning. I’m Kate Slevin, EVP of Regional Plan Association. RPA is a nonprofit civic organization that works to improve the quality of life for our region’s 23 million residents.
I’m here today to underscore our strong support of the vital Hudson Tunnel Project and of the entire Gateway Program.
Rail service between Newark and New York City carries over 200,000 passengers on 450 daily trains yet is served by only two tracks, one track carrying passengers in each direction.
It’s a major bottleneck for the entire northeast corridor, an area that generates 20% of the country’s GDP.
The Gateway Program will support our economy, and these benefits are already taking shape. The Hudson Tunnel Project is supporting thousands of good-paying jobs and creating opportunities for businesses throughout the region and across the country.
These benefits will only grow in the year ahead as additional construction activities ramp up and tunneling begins.
And of course, these benefits will only accelerate as projects come online. The full Gateway Program is expected to create $445 billion in economic benefits by 2060, according to our own research. This translates into about 46,000 jobs on average annually.
Beneficiaries of the Gateway Program include millions of residents who may never directly ride these train lines, but who benefit from reduced congestion, cleaner air, and stronger economic growth resulting from other people using transit.
This is one of the reasons Gateway has always had strong bipartisan support from our regional leaders over many years. Benefits extend beyond our region to national firms creating components needed for construction and delivery of these projects.
By ensuring reliable commuter service, Gateway supports the New York City workforce, housing growth, and the overall economic health across the NY - NJ - CT region and the entire nation.
Congratulations to the GDC team for all it has accomplished this year. We are eager to see the Hudson Tunnel Project and the entire Gateway Program advance.
