The Regional Plan Association said the full build of the Gateway Program — an initiative that includes 11 projects — will have a wide-ranging economic impact on the region, one that will sustain more than 46,000 jobs and generate an estimated $445 billion in economic benefits by 2060.
The new report, titled The Economic Promise of the Gateway Program, outlines the need for the complete revitalization and expansion of transit infrastructure between Newark and New York Penn Station to provide more reliable service for millions of rail passengers on one of the busiest railway stretches on the Northeast Corridor.
The Gateway Program is a multi-phase series of projects that will deliver critical rail infrastructure and double capacity along the ten-mile rail segment. While parts of the NEC are composed of four to six tracks, this critical section carries over 200,000 passengers on 450 daily trains and is only served by two tracks. Through its 11 core projects, the Gateway Program seeks to improve severely aging infrastructure and expand capacity through a systemized, phased approach that will minimize disruptions to current services.
In assessing the full Gateway program, RPA found that in its first 15 years of operation (between 2045 and 2060) — the program will stimulate $230 billion in the tri-state region’s economy and an additional $170 billion across the U.S.
The Gateway program supports the regional and national economy by expanding the regional labor market, inducing time and cost travel savings, and boosting business productivity. Additionally, the Gateway program’s core project construction is projected to generate $42.8 billion.
Gov. Phil Murphy, who has pushed for the Gateway project throughout his term, obviously is in full agreement.
“Every step forward in the Gateway Program reinforces New Jersey’s position as a vital regional crossroads — positioned to reap the full economic benefits of this historic project,” he said. “Completing the Gateway Program is not just about infrastructure — it’s about laying the foundation for a new century of American leadership.”
