Yesterday’s leafleting for the Access to the Region’s Core rail tunnel between NYC and New Jersey was not the only effort in support of ARC. Also yesterday, Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez held a rally with union members at the tunnel’s North Bergen construction site. Sen. Menendez said he had identified five cost-saving options for ARC and asked Gov. Christie to brainstorm ideas as well. “The question is, do you want to make it work?” he asked.
Today, more supporters came out for the project, with 31 state and regional businesses and business groups; labor unions; and disability rights, environmental, faith, housing, planning, and transportation groups sending a letter to the governor asking him “to keep the project on time, on budget and moving forward.” The full letter is below:
October 20, 2010
The Honorable Christopher Christie
Governor, State of New Jersey
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625-0001Dear Governor Christie,
We write to express our support for the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project, and urge you to move forward with the project.
The ARC project will cut commute times, increase the reliability of NJ Transit trains, reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs and housing opportunities, drive economic growth into the right places and boost property values.
Despite the undeniable benefits and need for ARC, we understand there are concerns about cost overruns for the project. We applaud your efforts to rein in costs — but also urge you to work with the Port Authority of NY/NJ and the Federal Transit Administration to keep the project on time, on budget and moving forward. Through cooperation among the three lead agencies, we trust that a solution can be developed to address the funding of this transformative project.
We were pleased to see the announcement of a two-week extension to consider options for the tunnel. We urge that all parties involved will use this time to find a solution that will allow this vital project to proceed.
Sincerely,
American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey
Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen Local 84
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ
DE BIASSE & SEMINARA ARCHITECTS, PC
Edison Chamber of Commerce
Environment NJ
Fair Share Housing Center
Fund for Environment and Urban Life
Greater Newark Conservancy
Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition
GreenFaith
Housing and Community Development Network of NJ
Hudson County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – Local 604
National Conference of Firemen and Oilers District of Local 32BJ/SEIU
New Jersey Chapter, American Planning Association
New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition
New Jersey Environmental Lobby
New Jersey Future
Next Step: People with Disabilities for Social and Economic Justice, Inc.
New Jersey PIRG
New Jersey Policy Perspective
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
PlanSmart NJ
Pratt Center for Community Development
Regional Plan Association
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Upper Raritan Watershed Association
United Transportation Union-NJ
Young Real Estate Professionals of New Jersey
Sorry Kids the Game is over…we are taking the ball back….you don’t play well with others! ARC is dead!
Many of these groups have bought the NJT line that the ARC is the best they could do. Others just want the construction jobs. It doesn’t matter that the plan is fatally flawed and suggestions for improvement have been rejected, sometimes with false arguments.