A federal appeals court denied the Department of Transportation’s attempts to stop federal funding from going to the Gateway project, a blow for the Trump administration in its attempts to thwart the rail tunnel project connecting New York City to New Jersey.
The unanimous decision from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means that the Gateway Development Commission’s work will continue to proceed on the renovations to the tunnel running under the Hudson River and that federal money must continue to flow to the $16 billion project. The tunnel has long been championed by New York Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Today’s welcome federal court ruling makes it unequivocally clear: the Trump administration must fund the Gateway Tunnel Project with the money we worked so hard to secure,” Schumer said in a statement.
A DOT spokesperson said the agency is “committed to ensuring hardworking taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly” and is “considering all legal avenues on their behalf.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
