Hudson River tunnels plan moves forward as feds vow $6.8B in funding

Plus: East Harlem's Second Avenue subway extension transformation. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [Feds commit $6.8B for new Hudson River tunnels, potential opening by 2035]( [an MTA conductor sticks their head out the window of a train]( The federal government has vowed to put up $6.88 billion for New York and New Jersey’s plan to build two new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River, Sen. Chuck Schumer announced on Thursday. The funding covers less than half of the project’s estimated $16.8 billion cost — but the commitment represents the largest federal grant ever given for a U.S. mass transit project. New York and New Jersey have already agreed to split the remaining cost. The project also includes work to repair the two existing Hudson River rail tunnels, which were damaged in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy. Officials in both states have, for a decade, said the new tubes must be built in order to close the existing ones for repairs. [​​​​​​​Read the story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- More transit stories to know this week Overhaul of East Harlem coming with Second Avenue subway expansion The MTA released renderings of plans for the extension of the Second Avenue subway line to East Harlem, and while the project will fill a major transit desert, it also means years of construction disruptions and requires the MTA to seize property through eminent domain. ([Gothamist]( New transit fixes courtesy of congestion pricing MTA’s congestion pricing tolls got federal approval last month, which means some drivers will take a hit — but it also means major upgrades are coming to New York’s mass transit networks. ([Gothamist]( DOT to roll out public lockers for packages on NYC sidewalks LockerNYC, the Department of Transportation's year-long pilot program, will allow customers to receive and send packages at 15 locations in an effort to reduce theft and delivery truck trips. ([Gothamist]( Ferry service to the Rockaways increased for the summer NYC Ferry announced it will run more boats on its Rockaway route on weekends and holidays in anticipation of a busy summer season. The “Rockaway Rocket,” a ferry service between Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 and Rockaway, will also be back for four weeks starting Aug. 12. ([Gothamist]( More modern trains hit NYC subway tracks The MTA rolled out more new trains featuring wider doors, new digital displays, security cameras and electronic signal equipment. The MTA said they plan to deploy at least two new modern trains into service each month starting in August. ([Gothamist]( Construction at JFK airport causes headaches for for-hire vehicle pickups With the Port Authority’s $19 million construction plan underway at JFK Airport, a Terminal 5 for-hire vehicle pick-up spot had to be moved to Terminal 7, which forces passengers to take the AirTrain to get there. ([NY1]( DOT to begin tackling abandoned bikes The Department of Transportation said they will begin tagging bikes locked up at public bike racks that have been reportedly abandoned. If the bike isn’t moved within a week, the DOT will confiscate it with monthly sweeps by business improvement districts. ([Streetsblog]( Celebrate Metro-North’s 40th birthday at a new exhibit The Transit Museum’s new exhibit, called “Metro-North at 40: The Oldest Young Railroad,” will be on display at the museum’s Grand Central outpost. ([Brooklyn Eagle]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list