Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

How Chris Christie Throws Reporters Off the Scent of His Worst Transit Sins

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently vetoed a proposal to reform the Port Authority. Photo: Wikipedia
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently vetoed a proposal to reform the Port Authority. Photo: Wikipedia
false

New Jersey governor and Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie is back in the news for a decision that says a lot about his legacy as a governor.

Over the Christmas holiday, Christie and his New York counterpart, Andrew Cuomo, vetoed legislation to reform the bi-state Port Authority, which among other responsibilities handles transportation infrastructure linking New Jersey and New York City. Their counterproposal avoids substantial reform and includes the possibility of cutting off overnight PATH transit service, which has been getting most of the press attention. This comes a few years after Christie killed the ARC transit tunnel under the Hudson River for political reasons.

Benjamin Kabak at Second Avenue Sagas writes that Christie's transit decisions should really anger a lot of his constituents, but he seems to have a way of playing the press to minimize the damage:

Christie established his conservative bona fides by canceling the [ARC] project despite the fact that his cost overrun projections were based on spurious data and that New Jersey likely could have worked out a deal with the feds and even New York to split overruns. But while Christie faced some criticism for the move, it was muted especially from New Jersey transit advocates who never supported the deep cavern alignment for the tunnel and wanted the Alt G version instead. So while Christie sometimes faces irate commuters on Twitter, he gets a pass, and editorial writers who try to tell the full story face a Sisyphean task.

Ironically — or perhaps intentionally — the Port Authority reform report that Christie signed endorsed a new Hudson River crossing which allowed for another round of hand-wringing over Christie’s duplicity. Again, though, the focus has been on the inconsistency of these statements rather than on the affect of Christie and Cuomo’s veto of the reform measures. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Bike PGH reports that Pittsburgh is planning to dramatically increase its budget for cycling infrastructure. Transport Providence uses a single bus route to illustrate the problems with Rhode Island's RIPTA transit service. And Streets.mn spends some time questioning the familiar refrain: "but people like their cars."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Sec. Duffy Moves to Rescind Billions for ‘Woke’ Transportation on Feb. 18 — So Advocates Must Speak Up Now

The U.S. Transportation Secretary has promised to call on Congress to slash vast funding for climate and DEIA.

February 14, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Let There Be Light

Pedestrian deaths are most common at night and on multilane roads, according to AAA, and the most at risk are people who may not be able to afford cars.

February 14, 2025

Friday Video: How America Got Hooked on Cars

CNBC put together a solid 15-minute explainer on car dependency that's perfect for sending to anyone who's never thought about the role of automobility in their life.

February 14, 2025

Catch the Green Wave In NYC

Even the Times loves it.

February 14, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: The Cognitive Experience of a Transit User

Ren Yee of UN Studio on the cognitive workload of pedestrians and creating safe opportunities for mind wandering and absorbing information.

February 13, 2025
See all posts