U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is urging the governors of New Jersey and New York to meet with him in two weeks to advance a stalled Hudson River tunnel project.
"It is increasingly clear that the problems of this crumbling asset will not go away, and we remain committed to advancing needed repairs and replacements," Foxx wrote Chris Christie of New Jersey and Andrew Cuomo of New York.
Foxx's request followed a series of delays that Amtrak and NJ Transit riders experienced last week related to a power outage.
Christie five years ago killed the so-called ARC project that predecessor Jon Corzine had favored, saying he worried about the cost to New Jersey.
Federal officials are working with Amtrak on the so-called Gateway project, which calls for two new tunnels. According to Foxx, the Obama administration recently earmarked $185 million toward Gateway tunnel access under the Hudson Yards development in Manhattan.
"The Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak have been in discussions about possible federal financing tools that could get the project started, but the project will not become a reality without your active participation and willingness to prioritize it," Foxx wrote the governors.
Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday, speaking in the New York about the reconstruction of LaGuardia Airport, said the region needs new tunnels under the Hudson.
