Justice
How the Politics of Transportation Made Chris Christie, and Could Break Him
The New Jersey governor became a conservative icon after shutting down a major tunnel project. Now, his reputation hangs in the balance.
Long before anyone outside of New Jersey cared about a traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, Governor Chris Christie was making headlines because of another Hudson River crossing.
In fall 2010, less than a year into his first term as governor, Christie single-handedly derailed a multibillion-dollar public transportation project called the ARC tunnel (the ARC stood for Access to the Region’s Core). ARC would have provided another rail connection between New Jersey and New York, relieving strain on the Amtrak tunnel under the Hudson River while doubling capacity and creating a faster route for commuter trains.