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Aaron

@aaronznj.bsky.social

270 followers 250 following 1.5K posts

Official home of the dork who decided to use my Urban Planning Master's Degree for the primary purpose of "make an alternate-history N Scale NJ Transit layout." All opinions are mine (and you can't have them!), and they’re all wrong or your money back!

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 14h

Also not going to express honest opinions but they are probably the same on this subject.

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 14h

Has Metra ever looked into the idea of some sort of suburb-to-suburb commuter line? Something like, I don't know, a Suburban Transit Access Route of some kind?

You wouldn't happen to know anything about such a weird hypothetical possibility right?

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 4d

What scale and track type are you working with?

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

I think a few outlets saw that one Emerson poll and decided to run a bunch of kneejerk articles about this "suddenly close race".

But ultimately this is like the Pittsburgh Steelers of a campaign. She's going to win and be immediately disappointing and definitely lose in 2029.

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

I don't buy this pretty much unsourced article one bit but it has been surreal because on the one hand Sherrill is running this lackadaisical bland campaign. Ciattarelli is actually trying but he and it seems the entire GOP keep stepping on every possible rake.

Does anyone even want this thing?

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Reposted by Aaron

Second Ave. Sagas @2avesag.as · 6d

MTA Statement:

Statement From MTA Chief, Policy and External Relations John J. McCarthy on Federal Funding of Second Avenue Subway Phase 2

“The federal government wants to immediately ‘review’ our compliance with rules they told us about moments ago. We’re reviewing their tweets and press releases like everyone else. For now, it looks like they’re just inventing excuses to delay one of the most important infrastructure projects in America.”

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

For like, five minutes, maybe.

GDC has essentially shrugged and been like "sure, whatever, we'll just keep doing what we do and keep construction going."

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

Which like, what is even the resolution they'd want out of this? Make GDC and MTA re-publish their RFP's I guess and then accept new bids?

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

Like the point is this project is about 1/3 of the way through its construction timeline from "when they started work" to "when the new tunnels open".

The point is the same: this thing is waaaay past the point where it's even really possible - practically even more than legally - to cancel it.

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

Ok, well then I stand corrected.

I also managed to omit Manhattan Tunnel Project lol.

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

Gateway Development Commission seems to regard the DOT thing with little more than a shrug.

If the people in charge of overseeing the whole project think this is not a big deal, then none of us should think so either.

www.gatewayprogram.org/wp-content/u...

Text of a statement by the Gateway Development Commission regarding the pause in disbursements for Hudson Tunnel Project.

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

I think HYCC-1 and HYCC-2 were, but HYCC-3 is under HTP.

Admittedly it's a little confusing given the way GDC has split Hudson Tunnel Project into a bunch of smaller packages.

Their May Board Meeting slides seem to show it as an HTP construction package, but also as "Package 0" so who knows.

Part of a map slide in the GDC May 2025 Board Meeting presentation.

Reposted by Aaron

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 6d

New Hochul statement on yesterday and today’s DC mess. State sued last night over the security grants. My guess is there’s a lawsuit by tonight over the Second Ave and Gateway stuff.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL

“Donald Trump has been clear: he is intent on using his reckless government shutdown to hurt the American people. In just 24 hours, his administration has defunded New York’s law enforcement and counterterrorism efforts and halted $18 billion in funding from critical infrastructure projects in New York City. This is political payback and an attack on New York and its residents, and it puts every family across our state in harm's way.

“Every New Yorker should be outraged. From the construction worker who could lose their job, to the commuter stuck on a delayed train, to the families who rely on brave law enforcement officers to keep them safe. I will not sit idly by while Donald Trump defunds public safety and lets our infrastructure crumble. We will use every tool available to us to restore this funding and ensure that these critical infrastructure projects get built and keep every New Yorker safe.”

###

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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 6d

Oh.

A tweet from me:

Really looking forward to the
@MikieSherrill
presser describing how Russ Vought has decided to make it harder for New Jersey commuters.

Does Vought have no fucking clue that NYC is attached to NJ?

A tweet from Mikie Sherrill. She RT's this tweet from Russ Vought:

Specifically, the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Ave Subway.
Quote
Russ Vought

@russvought
·
2h
Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles. More info to come soon from @USDOT.

The Trump administration is now attacking the Gateway Tunnel.

@Jack4NJ
said there’s not a single issue where he disagrees with Trump, and he promised to never take them to court.

As governor, I will fight this tooth-and-nail and sue the Trump administration to finish this critical, job-creating infrastructure project to reduce congestion and improve quality of life in New Jersey.

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Reposted by Aaron

Mikie Sherrill @mikiesherrill.bsky.social · 6d

The Gateway Tunnel Project will create nearly tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs, and I was proud to secure the funding for it.

The Trump administration is trying to kill jobs and Jack's on board — leaving New Jerseyans behind.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/n...

Trump Administration to Withhold $18 Billion for N.Y.C. Infrastructure

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Aaron

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 6d

LMAO the rule being used to block funding for the Hudson and Second Avenue projects appears to have only been drafted and posted as of last night. www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.go...

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

Except that in this instance the explanation is actually really simple: "We bid/awarded all contracts for Hudson Tunnel Project/SAS-II in accordance with the DOT Guidance and policies that were in place at the time the contracts were bidded and awarded."

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

For sure. I mostly was saying what I said because I figure a lot of other people are gonna see "Hudson Tunnel Project paused" and be really worried that this is bigger than what it really is.

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Reposted by Aaron

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 7d

Also, Voight going after the Hudson River tunnels, which are primarily for New Jersey Transit(!), a month before the gubernatorial election in New Jersey is a big gift to Mikie Sherrill

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 7d

OMB Director Russell Voight says that US DOT will announce that the federal government is "pausing" funding for both Gateway and the Second Avenue Subway because of "unconstitutional DEI principles" -- x.com/russvought/s...

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

Yeah I guess at some point we could run into issues - if this "pause" goes on long enough it could start to cause construction timelines to slip (but that's like > a month before you get into that) and if it went really long it prevents future contracts from being awarded I guess.

Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

So for any construction contracts already awarded, that money is already sitting in bank accounts. The "comical oversized check" has already been signed and deposited.

All they can do is pause any future reimbursements, but that functionally just means they can't award new contracts.

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

"We're cancelling the FFGA because you followed a previous administration's guidance on DBE instead of ours when you signed contracts...during that administration and/or before we gave the new guidance." is how you get laughed out of a courtroom.

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

No kidding.

I mean, even the announcement from USDOT is badly written and makes it explicit "this is political." And it also cites the pretense as being DBE practices - the legal remedy would simply be "you have to re-bid RFP's".

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 6d

HTP has been under construction at this point for like 2.5 years. Three of the sub-projects (HYCC-3, Tonnelle, and HRGSS) are nearing *completion*. The TBM for Palisades is supposed to be onsite in a couple of months.

It's functionally impossible to cancel a project of this scale at this stage.

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Aaron @aaronznj.bsky.social · 7d

Sure, they could of course try to do just that - cancel federal support for HTP and SAS-II. It'd be blatantly illegal - and not the kind of illegal where you get it to SCOTUS and get the usual 6-3 "yeah sure, Calvinball" decision. Illegal as in "dismissed with prejudice".

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