Sunday, November 21, 2010

For Cross Harbor EIS Scope, Public Officials & Port Authority say NYC Freight Rail Needs Fixing - CURES




Public officials went to bat for CURES' communities in their comments on the proposed Scope of study for the Cross Harbor Environmental Impact Statement.

CURES Co-Chair Laura Zimmer stated, "CURES members and our public officials have given the Port Authority and Federal Highway Administration a road map for studying and solving local social and environmental problems caused by freight transport." Zimmer added, "CURES and CB-5 gave Laura Shabe (Manager, Cross Harbor Freight Program, Port Commerce Department, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey) a tour. There is an opportunity here for more objective and open investigation to take place. It is in everyone's best interests for focused, practical solutions to be devised and implemented by private and public stakeholders."
Laura Shabe, was quoted in a recent timesnewsweekly article:


about local rail problems. Shabe stated: “If we can’t make freight rail work here now, we can’t make it work in the future.”


In response to Shabe's remarks, CURES Co-Chair Mary Parisen said, "Laura Shabe is exactly right. Transportation solutions for the 21st C will come out of solving today's problems.