Feasibility and environmental issue studies Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel

1 feasibility , environmental issue studies

1.1 2014 draft environmental impact study
1.2 facilities
1.3 other infrastructure
1.4 2015 final tier draft environmental impact statement
1.5 2017 efforts

feasibility , environmental issue studies

in summer 2000 report, edwards , kelcey evaluated proposals rail tunnels between brooklyn , staten island , between brooklyn , jersey city, plus increased barge transport of railcars across new york harbor. estimated pair of tunnels between jersey city , brooklyn cost $2.15 billion, not including track connections or track improvements. despite length of tunnels being considered, 17,000 ft (5,182 m), study found providing enough ventilation operate diesel locomotives practical.

probably mindful of environmental issues key elements in 1985 cancellation of westway project, new york city industrial development agency commissioned environmental assessment. assessment found immersed tube construction environmentally more hazardous , more expensive bored tunnel construction. ventilation confirmed practical , found unlikely present greater hazards fumes trucks otherwise used transport freight.

following feasibility , environmental studies, 2 organizations formed plan , promote tunnel project , seek government funding. cross harbor freight movement project, hosted stv group, construction firm in new york city , douglassville, pennsylvania, , cross-harbor tunnel coalition, known movenynj or move ny & nj . cross harbor freight movement project supported funds u.s. federal highway administration, u.s. federal railroad administration , new york city economic development corporation, while cross-harbor tunnel coalition voluntary organization of business, union , political leaders. political activity led authorization of $100 million cross harbor rail freight tunnel federal transportation project in u.s. transportation equity act of 2005.

2014 draft environmental impact study

the 2014 tier 1 draft environmental impact study (deis) considered 29 alternatives , selected ten further study, including 5 tunnel options , 5 waterborne options. tunnel options considered include following:

rail tunnel
rail tunnel shuttle service pennsylvania
rail tunnel chunnel service patterned after truck movement system used on england-france channel tunnel
rail tunnel automated guided vehicles
rail , truck tunnel shared 12 hours trucks , 12 hours rail

the waterborne options include enhanced rail float operations, going beyond improvements port authority has committed to, , 4 options involve transporting trucks or shipping containers across harbor boat. latter group includes

truck float
truck ferry
lift on lift off (lolo) - lifting containers on , off barge
roll on roll off (roro) - vessel designed allow wheeled trucks or trailers driven onboard

the deis executive summary (table es-6) lists following costs , benefits various options:

only enhanced rail float , basic rail tunnel options selected in final eis tier ii analysis.

facilities

the proposed cross-harbor rail tunnel tubes large enough take double-stacked container cars. according cross harbor freight movement project, alignment favored cross-harbor rail tunnel between portals (access points) located in conrail s greenville yard in jersey city , along long island rail road s bay ridge branch in brooklyn, crossing middle of upper harbor, length of 5.5 mi (8.9 km).

other infrastructure

during environmental assessment, existing rail infrastructure surveyed compatibility cross-harbor rail tunnel. parts of existing trackage need repair. rights of way have been reduced single-track width or never wider , in deteriorating condition due little use , maintenance. track segments lack enough clearance above tracks envisaged double-stacked container cars. such factors limit effective capacity of rail tunnel , add substantial cost overcome. rail yards east of new york harbor lack trans-shipment terminal enough capacity transfer freight coming through cross-harbor rail tunnel trucks. proposal generated acquire 100 acres (40 ha) of land build 1 in west maspeth, queens. studies performed cross-harbor rail tunnel 30,000 trucks per day cross george washington bridge , verrazano narrows bridge going or parts of long island, including queens , brooklyn, or 10 million trucks per year.

2015 final tier draft environmental impact statement

the final tier draft environmental impact statement recommends further study of 2 alternatives: enhanced rail float operations , basic rail tunnel among tunnel alternatives. while rail float alternative expected produce less freight tonnage diversion tunnel (2.8 million tons per year vs 9.6), costs dramatically less, $175 million vs. $7.2 billion. eis recommends phased approach, starting building enhanced float service carload freight, adding capacity intermodal traffic, developing needed intermodal facilities on long island , planning , building rail freight tunnel.

port authority chairman john j. degnan expressed doubts freight rail tunnel alternative in light of competing demands on port authority resources, including gateway project passenger rail tunnel under hudson, estimated cost $20 billion, , new port authority bus terminal costing $10 billion. s hard me imagine, given competing demands federal government fund other projects, commit funding @ cost on order of magnitude.

2017 efforts

in july 2017, port authority announced had allocated $35 million study of tunnel suitable freight.

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