Welcome to the future, Hudson River commuters.
For the third straight day, train passengers from New Jersey were hit with mammoth morning delays Wednesday. NJ Transit even tweeted an unprecedented apology, calling the situation “unacceptable.”
This, just a week after riders were hit with a 9 percent fare hike and service cuts.
And it’s all-too-typical of the delays these riders frequently face.
What’s being done about it? Little.
On Tuesday, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx called it “almost criminal” that the region hasn’t moved faster to build new train tunnels under the Hudson, even as the existing two — which already back up repeatedly — will soon need to be closed for repairs.
True, Amtrak has already begun preliminary work on a Hudson tunnel project. But it will take a decade or more to build — and there’s no plan yet for how to divvy up its estimated $15 billion cost.
This project is critical to the region. Commuting, heck, the entire economy depends on it. Officials — in Trenton, Albany and DC — need to get moving.
Fast.