"Access to the Region’s Core" is the rather wonky name given to the long-awaited second commuter rail tunnel between New Jersey and Midtown Manhattan. ARC, which would boost transit capacity and reduce car traffic into New York, is now entering a critical phase. In April, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign reported that local funds must be in place by October in order for the feds to release their matching grant, without which the project will languish indefinitely. Now TSTC is urging New Yorkers and New Jerseyans to contact their elected officials in support of ARC through an email advocacy campaign.

On their blog, Mobilizing the Region, TSTC says that ARC would:

• Double NJ Transit’s rush-hour capacity into and out of Manhattan, meaning more frequent, more reliable, less crowded trains on most lines in northern, central, and southern New Jersey.
• Provide one-seat rides
  into and out of Manhattan on the Pascack Valley Line, Port
  Jervis/Main/Bergen County Line, Morris & Essex Line, and Raritan
  Valley Line. Commuters will no longer have to transfer at Secaucus or
  Newark to get into and out of NYC.
• Act as an economic stimulus for New Jersey and New
  York. During construction, ARC will employ (directly and indirectly)
  almost 100,000 blue-collar, white-collar, and green-collar workers.
  After construction, the improved transit access will make the region
  more attractive to new and relocating companies.
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions. By taking cars off the road, ARC will cut more than 65,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

ARC rendering: Tri-State Transportation Campaign