Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Sierra Club today urged the Senate to take up and pass H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, as a critical step to improving the nation’s rail and public transit infrastructure. The act was passed by the House of Representatives on July 2, 2020.
A $1.5 trillion package, the Moving Forward Act would provide upward of $500 million dollars in new rail investment per year across the nation, including the Gateway project, as well as a new two track tunnel for Amtrak and NJ Transit trains under the Hudson River.
The Sierra Club also calls on the Department of Transportation (DoT) to approve the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which was submitted over two years ago. No construction can start on the Gateway Tunnel until this approval is granted.
Richard Isaac, Chair of Sierra Club New Jersey, released the following statement:
“Senate passage of the Moving Forward Act provides the funding necessary for a massive modernization of our aging transit infrastructure, including the long-delayed Gateway Tunnel project, which will reduce pollution, create good jobs, and build a more accessible and resilient public transportation system.
“We urge Senators from the Eastern region, whose residents use and rely on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor service, to press for quick passage of this bill. We also urge the Department of Transportation to move on the draft environmental impact statement, which the agency has left in limbo for over two years.”
Background on Gateway Project: The current two-track tunnel began operation in 1910 and operates at peak capacity, accommodating roughly 400 trains and 200,000 passengers each day. An already aging electrical system and crumbling concrete walls were further damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, leading Amtrak, the tunnel's operator, to estimate that one of the tunnel's two tubes could fail within the next decade, reducing rail capacity by up to 75% during peak travel times.
Amtrak’s Acela line, which relies on these tunnels, carries over 3 million riders, and generates a quarter of AMTRAK’s total passenger revenue. Investment in the tunnels is estimated to return $2.16 for every dollar invested.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.