Contact: Mayor Giuliani's Press Office, Curt Ritter 212-788-2971
Senator Moynihan's Press Office, Dan Maffei 202-224-4451
Senator D'Amato's Press Office, Lisette McSoud Mondello 202-224-6498
Senators Alfonse M. D'Amato and Daniel Patrick Moynihan joined Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today in support of a major initiative to consider a rail freight tunnel for New York City. The New York City Economic Development Corporation also announced the selection of the firm of Edwards and Kelcey Engineers, Inc. to prepare a Major Investment Study (MIS) that could lead to the development of a cross-harbor rail freight tunnel.
Mayor Giuliani said, "A Major Investment Study moves us toward the development of a rail freight tunnel -- or other acceptable transportation alternatives -- for New York Harbor. We have the opportunity to once again make New York City a freight rail transportation center, and the MIS study is a major step toward achieving this goal.
"With the strong support of Senators D'Amato and Moynihan, I am confident that New York City will return to its pre-eminent position as a hub of global commerce. I would like to thank both Senators for their support and for their commitments to help fund the planning and design phases of this critically important project," the Mayor added.
Senator D'Amato said, "We must have a better way to move goods and freight into New York City. One of the alternatives, a freight tunnel, would mean more jobs, cleaner air and less traffic and would cut the cost of doing business in the New York area. Working with Senator Moynihan and the New York Congressional delegation, I am confident that we can provide the Federal funds to help New York City achieve the best possible solution to the enormous problem of bringing goods to the people of New York."
Senator Moynihan said, "New York is the only American city where goods are shipped almost exclusively by truck -- 50,000 trucks per day! At present, freight trains must go almost all the way to Albany just to cross the Hudson. The cross-harbor project is vital to New York's economy. The idea has been around for 80 years. Let's get on with it!"
The MIS will examine alternatives for improving freight movement into and out of New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. A rail freight tunnel under New York Harbor is one of the alternatives to be assessed. The development of the multi-million-dollar MIS will last between 18 and 24 months.
Within the New York City region, the Hudson River creates a geographic barrier from the national rail network in New Jersey which is surmountable only by float bridges and motor crossings. Consequently, much of the cargo destined for New York City and Long Island is unloaded west of the Hudson River, then trucked through the City to its final destination. This inability to move modern freight trains directly through the City has contributed to an over-dependence on trucking.
An experienced leader in the development of freight projects, Edwards and Kelcey Engineers, has vast experience in transportation projects and has completed various rail projects in the New York City region and throughout the nation. The team of subconsultants led by Edwards and Kelcey Engineers, will include Hatch Mott and McDonald, designers of the St. Clair River Railway Tunnel from Michigan to Canada and of the Channel Tunnel connecting England and France. Other subconsultants include Sverdrup Civil and Cambridge Systematics, a regional expert in goods movement logistics and economics.
Currently, more than 100 million tons of goods transverse the New York City metropolitan region, a vast majority of which is transported on the City's roads. In fact, New York City only moves five percent of its rail freight eligible cargo by rail, whereas the national average for rail-transported freight is 26 percent. This high volume of vehicular freight movement contributes to traffic congestion, wear and tear on road and underground infrastructure, higher freight costs, and higher manufacturing costs in New York City. It is estimated that as a result of congestion delays in the New York City region, $12 billion is lost on an annual basis.
The MIS will examine cross-harbor freight movement alternatives which range from a tunnel from either Brooklyn or Staten Island to New Jersey, the implementation of float bridges and other alternatives. Major Investment Studies are required to obtain Federal funds for large-scale transportation projects. Engineering drawings, as well as environmental assessment, economic analysis and financial implementation, will be part of the MIS.
The Cross-Harbor Freight Movement MIS will be prepared with input from businesses, affected communities and elected officials. In addition, EDC's effort will be fully coordinated with complementary transportation projects sponsored by the New York State Department of Transportation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and other New York City agencies.