Another Tunnel?

From the Star Ledger:

$1 billion is earmarked for rail tunnel to Manhattan

A decades-old dream of digging a second rail tunnel under the Hudson River to Midtown Manhattan will gather momentum today when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is expected to approve a $1 billion authorization for the megaproject.

Agency officials say the huge outlay is just a beginning -- by year's end they hope to designate another $1 billion to the tunnel as part of the agency's upcoming 10-year capital investment plan.

After years of visionary talk and little action, the Port Authority's anticipated $2 billion commitment represents a massive down payment on long-stalled plans to ease frustrations over rush-hour congestion delays by doubling capacity from the roughly 42,000 commuters each workday morning.

Agency officials hope their commitment ultimately will spur the federal government to fund at least half of the second trans-Hudson rail tunnel's estimated $6 billion price tag.
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Gov. Jon Corzine, a long-standing supporter of the additional tunnel, wants construction to begin in 2009. Completion of the tunnel, which will run adjacent to the existing one, is not expected until 2016 -- at the earliest.