In early 2023, I had heard nothing about the Cross Harbor Freight Program for over a year and I began to wonder about its status. I sent an inquiry to the Port Authority’s Office of Media Relations, “What is the status of the Tier II EIS for the Cross Harbor Freight Program?” They informed me on March 6, 2023, “The Tier II EIS review is ongoing. All publicly available reports related to the Cross Harbor Freight Program for Tier I and Tier II are available on the project website….”
The last information on Port Authority’s “Cross Harbor Freight Program” webpage is dated May 5, 2017, reporting the issuance by the Port Authority of an RFP for consultants to conduct the Tier II Environmental Impact Study. The person named as the contact for questions, and comments in the “Public Input” section on that page is no longer employed by the PA. The feedback email address there, feedback@crossharborstudy.com, was then and now is inoperative.
On March 9, 2023, I made a Public Records Access request to the PA for “All reports made to PANYNJ in connection with the Cross-Harbor Tunnel Program Tier II EIS.” The PA responded on September 19, 2023, “A diligent search has been conducted, and no records responsive to your request have been located.”
On November 7, 2023, I made a Public Records Access request to the PA for “A copy of each contract or agreement by the Port Authority from 2017 to date for consultants to conduct the Tier II Environmental Impact Study and/or complementary advanced planning and engineering work for the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project.” On March 26, 2024, the PA produced a single agreement in response to that request, dated January 26, 2018. The subject of that agreement was “to provide the performance of expert professional planning, environmental and engineering services in support of the development of a Cross Harbor Freight Program Tier II Environment Review on an “As-Needed” basis for 2018 through 2020….”
One would expect that, if consultants were proceeding with the CHFP Tier II Environment Review, there would be reports. Indeed, the “Description of Consultant Tasks” in the January 2018 agreement included, “Specific tasks to be performed by the Consultant may include but shall not be limited to … 5. Provide monthly status reports to the Authority addressing accomplishments, issues, and schedule and budget status, including corrective actions, as necessary; ….”
On November 7, 2023, I requested reports from the PA, as follows:
“A copy of each written report received by the Port Authority since January 1, 2022 from consultants in connection with the Tier II Environmental Impact Study and/or complementary advanced planning and engineering work for the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project,” and, “A copy of each written report since January 1, 2022 by the Port Authority or its consultants to the US Department of Transportation, including but not limited to its Federal Highway Administration, in connection with the Tier II Environmental Impact Study and/or complementary advanced planning and engineering work for the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project.”
No reports were produced to me in response to those requests. On May 1, 2024, the PA confirmed that no responsive records had been found.
I then asked the PA Office of Media Relations to “put me in touch with someone concerning the status of the Cross Harbor Freight Program.” The response on May 10, 2024 was “The short answer to your question about developments in the Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel is that there have been no new developments since you last inquired.”
I have made telephone and Email inquiries to the Federal Highway Administration regarding the status of FWHA funding for the NY-NJ Cross Harbor Freight Program but have not yet received any substantive response.
The Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel proposal appears to be dead. For many reasons, I doubt that tunnel will ever be built.
John Pegram
New York, NY
