The local and regional political leaders with a stake in the Gateway project connecting New York and New Jersey see a little light at end of the tunnel now that Democrats hold a majority in the House of Representatives.
Dana Rubinstein reports on how the midterm elections changed the fortunes of the Gateway project, which would build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River between New Jersey and Penn Station and a new bridge over the Hackensack River:
Ultimately the fate of the $13 billion Gateway tunnel-and-bridge project continues to rest with the Trump administration. But the House of Representatives will soon be controlled by a party that is both friendlier to big cities and more inclined to use its subpoena and oversight authority to pressure the president to, at a minimum, let the project proceed.
Rubinstein notes that prospect for the Gateway project have been remarkably sour, since President Trump entered office, considering he's a Manhattan-based developer. The article includes a chronology of events pertaining to the Gateway project since the conclusion of the Obama administration.
Read the full story: Democratic House gives hope to backers of cross-Hudson project
Funding Approved for Key Rail Connection Between New Jersey and New York
The Portal Bridge is a key component of the larger Gateway Program that includes tunnels under the Hudson River. Fixing the Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River will provide tremendous relief to NJ Transit and Amtrak commuters.
Gateway Program Encounters Barrier in Trump
President Trump has not been a friend to the $30 billion Gateway Program, a transportation project meant to replace aging rail infrastructure connecting New York and New Jersey.
Massive tunnel-boring machine breaks ground on Gateway Project
The Trump administration revoked funding for the project in October 2025, and then restored it earlier this year.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority