Gateway Development Commission Testimony
Good morning, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.
Created by the New York State Legislature in 1981, PCAC serves as the official voice of riders for all branches of the MTA system.
PCAC is proud to be a member of the Build Gateway Now Coalition to recognize what a major impact the Gateway Program will have, propelling economic development and delivering a sustainable and healthier region. Our members who are West of Hudson riders and residents are especially excited about this work, as having a one-seat ride into Penn Station will be a game-changer for Port Jervis and Pascack Valley line riders, improving speed and reliability for riders with some of the longest and most tenuous commutes in the region.
That’s why we have been dumbfounded and appalled by the President’s edict via tweet to withhold funding for the Hudson River Tunnel Project as well as Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway. This feels a bit like deja vu, but with significantly higher stakes. The President’s reckless obstruction is eerily reminiscent of his first administration, when U.S. DOT refused to approve the Environmental Impact Statement for the Hudson Tunnel Project, stalling it for almost three years.
What’s different now is that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of billions in economic activity are at stake should these projects fail to move forward. That’s real families and livelihoods in New York, New Jersey, and beyond. We stand with Governor Hochul, Senator Schumer, and the New York and New Jersey Congressional Delegations and urge them to fight this illegal injustice with every ounce of their strength. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.