U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx met with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez to discuss building a new Hudson River rail tunnel. The meeting comes as the deterioration of Amtrak's current tunnel is causing a new sense of urgency, and the officials issued a joint statement saying "we cannot afford further delay." The politicians also pledged to work together to obtain a "substantial" federal grant and other financing for the project.
After the meeting, the officials dodged reporters gathered in the lobby, and Christie slipped out the back door. Asked how important this is, he said, "I showed up today, right?"
New York Gov. Andrew Governor Cuomo did not.
His office said the focus of the meeting was on New Jersey transportation issues, though Foxx had issued an invitation to both governors to come to the table back in July. Cuomo issued a statement of his own instead, saying the parties seem to be on the same page. "I strongly support the construction of the new Hudson River tunnel, and a federal grant package that makes the project viable is an essential first step," he said.