Fortune » The federal spending bill signed last week by President Donald Trump relieves a funding crunch for one of America’s most urgent infrastructure needs, according to boosters of the New York City-area Gateway rail project. The Trump administration’s response: Dream on.
Bloomberg » Across the U.S., public infrastructure is crumbling because of legislative gridlock and chronic underfunding. Roads are overcrowded, bridges are well past their expiration date, and transit systems regularly face unprecedented delays. But there will be one thing to celebrate as you seethe in traffic this weekend—a small, strange gap in I-95 is being filled.
NJ.com » Gateway Tunnel funding continued to move through Congress as a key Senate committee approved money for the project despite President Donald Trump’s opposition to the project. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $71.4 billion funding bill for the 12 months beginning Oct. 1 that includes at least $2.5 billion for Amtrak and railroad grants.
NJ.com » U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez is threatening to block President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Federal Transit Administration, claiming Thelma Drake changed her answers about the Gateway Tunnel project after meeting with him. Under Senate rules, any individual lawmaker can put a hold a nominee, preventing a floor vote.
Bloomberg » The powerful Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee scolded Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for not supporting the Gateway rail bridge and tunnel projects in New York and New Jersey, as lawmakers from the region keep up their fight with the Trump administration over money for the program.
Politico » The deadline may be self-imposed, but it is meaningful. Planners had been pursuing a two-year expedited environmental review process in the hopes of making a July deadline to access federal funding and launching the procurement process this summer. Now, the federal government is threatening to throw a wrench into the whole schedule.