An official grant agreement between the GDC - the bistate agency leading the project design and oversight - and the FTA is not expected to be finalized until next year. With the project entering the engineering phase, after Federal Transit Administration approval, the Gateway Development Commission will have access to much of the new grant money to advance the project. Gateway tunnel: Project gets $25M to kick-start construction on NJ side “That’s why we’re rushing to get the money now, so we get it under a friendly administration.” “We have to do this quickly because these are hundred-year-old tunnels,” said Schumer, who also doesn’t want another election to get in the way of what he calls the most important infrastructure project in the country. Today, Schumer remains the leading political figure shoving all the parties in the same direction. Chris Christie canceled the predecessor ARC tunnel project in 2010, through multiple presidents including former President Donald Trump, who slowed progress. Schumer, who represents New York, has fought to get this project moving for more than a decade since then-Gov. Once the new tunnel is finished, the old tunnels can be shut one at a time for vital restoration. The new tunnel is needed, project backers say, because the existing tunnels that carry two rail lines beneath the Hudson - which date to 1910 - were drastically compromised by Superstorm Sandy and must be repaired. The Senate majority leader announced that his passion project - funding the $16.1 billion Gateway project to build a new tunnel that would carry rail lines beneath the Hudson River from New Jersey into Manhattan - had reached the next step, securing a $6.88 billion federal grant. He had an important announcement to make, and he needed everyone to hear it. Chuck Schumer peered over the edge of the Hudson rail yards and politely yelled at the rail workers below to quiet down for a few minutes. James McDonald, New York's health commissioner, said in a statement.Watch Video: First stage of Gateway project to improve North Corridor rail service from NY to NJ "With unhealthy air over the eastern part of the state, and a summer holiday weekend upon us when many people spend time outdoors, it is important that everyone be aware of their local air quality and their personal risk," Dr. An approaching cold front is likely to pull older smoke northward, leading to slightly elevated levels of PM 2.5. The smoke plume is set to push from the southwest to the northeast Friday night into Saturday, state officials said, which is expected to create temporary periods of air quality considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups" across New York.Ĭurrent forecasts for Sunday indicate smoke will recirculate in New York State due to smoke lingering in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic, officials said. The same agency in the New York City area said gradual improvement in smoke coverage is expected Saturday into Sunday, with rain and a possible thunderstorm helping clear the air Sunday. The National Weather Service in Buffalo said Friday that it expected smoke to start to dissipate over the weekend. The lower Hudson Valley is expected to see higher ozone levels on Saturday.Īn air quality index marker of 150 or greater signifies “unhealthy” air quality, while anything between 101 and 150 is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”Īs of noon Friday, air quality measurements hovered around 165 in Rochester, Syracuse and New York City, and 115 in Westchester County. On Friday, the state also issued an advisory for New York City for ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant derived from chemical reactions between sunlight and car exhaust and industrial emissions that produces hazy skies. The state issued its alerts for fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, derived from Canadian wildfires. "As we prepare to celebrate this holiday weekend, New Yorkers should continue to check the latest air quality in their region before heading outside," Gov. The advisory remained for the Adirondacks, upper and lower Hudson Valley, the New York City metro and Long Island regions through Saturday, with forecasts of smoke recirculating Sunday. On Friday afternoon, state officials issued another advisory for much of the state. These areas remained under an air quality alert until midnight Friday for unhealthy levels of pollution. Western New York, Central New York, the Hudson Valley and other areas of the state have been under air quality advisories for several days, with Air Quality Index measurements of greater than 100 in much of the state. The wildfire smoke causing New York’s latest bout with poor air quality will slowly start to dissipate into the holiday weekend, officials said, but New Yorkers may still want to exercise caution around outdoor activities.
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