Trump's Infrastructure Plan Leaves Future of Gateway Project Uncertain

President Trump's infrastructure proposal leaves the future of funding for the Gateway Project uncertain.

Trump's plan would help speed some things along, like the Environmental Review permitting process, streamlining the number of organizations a permit has to go through before approval. 

Interim Executive Director of the Gateway Project John Porcari said the project is already 24 months ahead of schedule when it comes to getting the necessary permits, but further improvements are welcome.

But he told WNYC that he was hoping the president would designate specific funding for the project. Instead, the proposal requires local governments to cover 80 percent of the costs.

"It's like telling the states of New York and New Jersey that you're responsible for your own defense and you have to raise your own army," he said. "There's simply a national function that's required here and this is the first time that there's been a fundamental discussion about whether the federal government should continue to have an important role in infrastructure."

New York and New Jersey leaders have already agreed to pay half of the $30 billion the project is projected to cost.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler told WNYC that Trump's proposal is, "the worst infrastructure proposal I've ever seen or could conceive of in my life." He doubts that Gateway would even get funded under this plan, especially if projects are awarded funding based on what type of local taxes are raise to cover the costs.

"It wouldn't be judged on how important it is relative to other projects," Nadler said. "It would be judged on how much higher New York and New Jersey are raising their taxes."