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Contender for NJ gov. says he’ll fight Cuomo over bus terminal
Phil Murphy says $3.5B isn't enough for the project
The top Democratic contender for New Jersey governor has vowed to go toe-to-toe with New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo over funding for the new Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown.
Phil Murphy, former U.S. ambassador to Germany turned gubernatorial candidate, said the $3.5 billion dedicated to the terminal in the bistate agency’s newly approved $32 billion capital plan isn’t enough for the project, Politico reported.
“We have to fight tooth and nail to make sure this happens — at all costs,” Murphy told Politico. “And I feel like we’re on our back heels. I feel like we’re being taken advantage of, and that’s unacceptable for the citizens of this state.”
The approved funding will cover the environmental review, design work and some initial construction. By some estimates, the project is expected to cost $10 billion.
Representatives for Cuomo weren’t impressed by Murphy’s comments.
“If Phil Murphy becomes governor and then is briefed on the facts and understands the agency, we can have an intelligent conversation,” Dani Lever, a spokesperson for the governor, said.
Cuomo and the Port’s New Jersey representatives have been duking it out over the terminal. Politico reported in November that Cuomo told Port Authority chairman John Degnan that he could care less about the project, which he considered a New Jersey concern. [Politico] — Kathryn Brenzel