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New Jersey Gov. Christie blames Amtrak for nightmarish commutes
Source: Reuters
US | Fri Jul 24, 2015 6:27pm EDT
New Jersey Gov. Christie blames Amtrak for nightmarish commutes
BY HILARY RUSS
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, on Friday blamed Amtrak for a week of nightmarish commutes to and from New York and called on the Obama administration and Congress to "step up their responsibility," and fix the problems.
New Jersey pays Amtrak, the national rail operator, $100 million annually so that NJ Transit trains can use Amtrak tunnels and rails, Christie said.
Travelers using NJ Transit trains were "victimized" by extreme delays and cancellations throughout the system this week because of "Amtrak's indifference to New Jersey commuters and its abject neglect of the infrastructure that New Jersey and our entire region relies upon," Christie said in a statement.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Christie's broader record on transportation is less supportive. Just after taking office in 2010, he cancelled a new Hudson River tunnel project already under construction, called Access to the Region's Core, saying costs were likely to skyrocket and citing his state's lack of funding ability.
New Jersey's Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for roads and bridges, is also nearly broke. That has prompted calls from Democrats to raise the state's gas tax, which Christie has rejected.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
New Jersey Gov. Christie blames Amtrak for nightmarish commutes
BY HILARY RUSS
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, on Friday blamed Amtrak for a week of nightmarish commutes to and from New York and called on the Obama administration and Congress to "step up their responsibility," and fix the problems.
New Jersey pays Amtrak, the national rail operator, $100 million annually so that NJ Transit trains can use Amtrak tunnels and rails, Christie said.
Travelers using NJ Transit trains were "victimized" by extreme delays and cancellations throughout the system this week because of "Amtrak's indifference to New Jersey commuters and its abject neglect of the infrastructure that New Jersey and our entire region relies upon," Christie said in a statement.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Christie's broader record on transportation is less supportive. Just after taking office in 2010, he cancelled a new Hudson River tunnel project already under construction, called Access to the Region's Core, saying costs were likely to skyrocket and citing his state's lack of funding ability.
New Jersey's Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for roads and bridges, is also nearly broke. That has prompted calls from Democrats to raise the state's gas tax, which Christie has rejected.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/24/us-usa-new-jersey-transportation-idUSKCN0PY2GY20150724
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Oh that is too rich. The irony writes itself. 
