The images of cracked concrete and corroding rails — so starkly laid out in a 57-page report detailing the post-Sandy conditions of Amtrak's under-river tunnels — also demonstrate something else: "The disgraceful neglect of our infrastructure by the governors of both states," said Richard Ravitch, a former lieutenant governor and former MTA chief, who said the region has been under-funding its transportation network for years.

So it's hard to imagine New York and New Jersey suddenly finding what could amount to $12 billion dollars for a new tunnel. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is already building a new $4 billion dollar Tappan Zee Bridge — without a funding plan. Meanwhile, New Jersey's transportation trust fund is teetering on insolvency.

"And the business community should be in the forefront advocating for it," said Ravitch, "but they’re against taxes. Our business leadership has their head in the sand."

Senator Robert Menendez didn't use the word tax — he said new revenues should be on the table, and that the states will have to work together to make that happen. "It’s going to be up to the leadership of both states, both governors," he said, "working with the Port Authority, which ultimately was created for the whole purposes of the regional transportation impact to live up to its obligations."

He added: "When you have dedicated revenues, for the purposes of new higher-speed mass transit, actually voters will vote for that to happen."

Besides, if you think the federal government will pick up the tab, the senator has this reality check for you: "We can't even get a long-term federal highway and mass transit bill."

But the governors haven't exactly wrapped their arms around this. Earlier this week, WNYC reporter Karen Rouse asked Cuomo about the report that so grimly laid out the condition of the tunnels. "I haven't seen the Amtrak report," he said, "so I can't really comment on it." So far, his office hasn't responded for further requests for comment.

Meanwhile, across the river, Michael Drewniak, a spokesperson for Gov. Chris Christie, says the governor "is open to a plan that is well-engineered but also fair and equitable to New Jersey — with costs shared between all benefiting jurisdictions, including New York State, New York City and the federal government." (Emphasis his.)

What does "fair and equitable" mean? Years of debate.