A cooperative effort needed on Gateway and Penn

A plan to rethink dark and dingy Penn Station. An agreement between two governors to fund the Gateway project and its desperately needed new train tunnels under the Hudson River. A messy mix of priorities and interests among two states, the federal government, Amtrak, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a host of advocates and elected officials.

We've been here before. It's time to turn plans and promises into reality.

The 50-50 split of the local costs of Gateway's first phase, announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy as part of a memorandum of understanding this week, is similar to past agreements. It makes sense for New York to help fund the project. The Hudson River tunnels and Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River are critical connections to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and therefore important to New York. But the deal represents an enormous financial commitment — $386.2 million for the Portal North Bridge alone. New Jersey is putting up the same amount, and will be responsible for cost overruns. We hope Hochul got the best possible deal.

But she and Murphy shouldn't stop pursuing federal dollars. After all, few projects would qualify for federal infrastructure money as much as Gateway.

But Gateway doesn't stand alone, and Hochul's commitment must mesh with plans to renovate Penn Station itself. At a news conference last month, both Hochul and Murphy advocated for the Penn remake. Also last month, Amtrak issued an initial contract for design work on Penn tracks and platforms, an effort it said was done "in partnership with NJ Transit and in coordination with MTA."

Already, the MTA is widening and improving Penn Station's Long Island Rail Road concourse, a separate project expected to be completed this year. The larger Penn plan on which Hochul and the MTA are rightly focused involves remaking the existing, beleaguered main concourse, and the station's maze of narrow and dreary hallways, while also improving the area around the station. Amtrak is focused on the tracks and platforms under Penn, as well as coming work on the East River tunnels.

The broad show of support for Gateway, Penn and related efforts is nice to see. But the commitment must not wane, especially when Manhattan elected officials push back. It will be a challenge for everyone involved to prioritize each project, coordinate multiple contracts, assuage many interested parties, and adhere to a sensible timetable and game plan, rather than compete for attention, time, space and money.

Between the LIRR coming to Grand Central and Metro-North Railroad's future connection to Penn, there's a limited window to get the big work at Penn done — and it can't wait for Gateway. Hochul should take the lead, working with other elected officials and transit executives in a smart, collaborative way, prioritizing Penn while moving forward on Gateway, without sacrificing progress on one for the other.