http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/15/nyregion/nj-transit-getting-scrutiny-and-pledges-of-aid-for-its-problems.html 2016-10-15 04:46:42 N.J. Transit Getting Scrutiny and Pledges of Aid for Its Problems State legislators set hearings on the agency’s woes, while a federal official said the process of lining up grants and loans for a new rail tunnel was underway. === State lawmakers in New Jersey moved on Friday to hold hearings focused on investigating the problems plaguing The official, Anthony Foxx, the federal transportation secretary, said that the process of lining up grants and loans to pay for the project, a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, had started. “To use a football analogy, we’ve carried the ball to the 50-yard line,” Mr. Foxx said, urging local leaders to take the next steps toward starting construction. The tunnel project has gained momentum over the past year after a series of train delays at the existing century-old tunnel that now carries New Jersey Transit and But New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third-busiest commuter railroad, is also facing questions about its After state lawmakers criticized the state-run agency at a news conference in Trenton on Friday, Gov. Chris Christie announced that he had signed legislation raising New Jersey’s gasoline tax by 23 cents a gallon to pay for transportation projects, including those involving New Jersey Transit. He also ended a statewide shutdown of most transportation work he ordered over the summer. The gas tax increase, part of a deal reached by Mr. Christie, a Republican, and Democratic leaders last month, takes effect on Nov. 1. Stephen M. Sweeney, the State Senate president, said lawmakers would hold a hearing next week to investigate New Jersey Transit’s many problems, including its failure to install technology that can stop a speeding train automatically. The agency’s new executive director, Steven Santoro, would be invited to testify. Senator Sweeney, a Democrat, described New Jersey Transit as an agency in crisis, echoing the findings of a “An agency that was a national model with a bright future seven years ago is now suffering from years of neglect, chronic underfunding, questionable decision-making, including poor preparations for Also on Friday, several members of Congress sent a letter to Mr. Foxx in which they raised concerns about The Times’s findings and asked for details about safety violations uncovered by a recent Federal Railroad Administration audit of New Jersey Transit. Leaders of the State Assembly are considering the use of subpoenas to require officials to testify and to collect documents. “The public and the state’s economic vitality depend on N.J. Transit to fulfill its mission, but the public has lost confidence in the agency’s ability to operate safely and efficiently,” said the Assembly speaker, Vincent Prieto, a Democrat. Asked on Friday about New Jersey Transit’s ability to lead the environmental review for the proposed Hudson tunnel, Mr. Foxx said the agency had been a “good partner” on the project so far. He was joined by officials from Amtrak and the Senator The project, which is likely to be paid for with a combination of federal grants and loans, was accepted this summer into a pipeline for federal grants known as New Starts funding, Mr. Foxx said. The environmental study is also being expedited, he added. The Portal Bridge, another Patrick J. Foye, the Port Authority’s executive director, said the tunnel project had the support of the agency, as well as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, a Democrat, and Mr. Christie. The agency’s board plans to discuss the Gateway project at a meeting next week, he said. The Port Authority board is expected to consider approving $300 million for the Portal Bridge project, according to an official who was familiar with the plans but was not authorized to discuss them publicly. About six years ago, Mr. Christie canceled an earlier plan to build a tunnel under the Hudson. Asked whether the current proposal might be similarly thwarted, Mr. Schumer said that he had faith in Mr. Christie and Mr. Cuomo and that anyone who stood in the way would face “dramatic consequences.” “We’re making sure,” he said, “there is no one who can kill it.”