Longtime Transit Exec. Tom Prendergast To Head Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project
NEW YORK—The Gateway Development Commission announced it had appointed Thomas “Tom” Prendergast as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The announcement was made following its Board meeting on Jan. 16.
Mr. Prendergast brings significant experience managing large rail infrastructure to the role, including serving as president, chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority; president of the Long Island Rail Road; and CEO of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink).
At MTA, Mr. Prendergast led the way to secure a five-year capital plan to modernize New York’s public transportation systems, and he oversaw restoration of service after Hurricane Sandy and the critical rehabilitation and flood resiliency efforts. He served as CEO of the MTA from December 2009 until January 2013.
Mr. Prendergast comes to GDC from AECOM, where he oversees design and consulting services across all business lines in New York and New Jersey, including transportation, water and wastewater, environment, power and buildings and places.
“The region and the nation need the Hudson Tunnel Project now more than ever, and Tom’s deep experience delivering complex infrastructure projects in New York and New Jersey, including his decades of work focused on rail mass transit in the region, position him perfectly to lead us through the next phases of this critical project,” said Alicia Glen, New York GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair, Balpreet GrewalVirk, New Jersey GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair, and Tony Coscia, GDC Amtrak Commissioner and Vice Chair, in a joint statement.
Among the significant steps the commission is expected to take are:
• Award the contract for the Manhattan Tunnel Project, which involves designing and building the portion of the new tunnel on the Manhattan side of the Hudson River.
• Complete production of the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will build the New Jersey portion of the tunnel. These TBMs have already been ordered.
• Finish the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project. This will provide access to the portal to the Palisades that will enable tunnel boring machines to build the New Jersey portion of the new tunnel and will allow trains to pass under Tonnelle Avenue into the tunnel once it is in operation.
Seven of the 10 construction packages that make up the HTP are now under construction or in procurement. In total, construction of the HTP will create 95,000 jobs and generate nearly $20 billion in economic activity that benefits workers and businesses throughout the New York/New Jersey region and across the country.
Work is well underway on three construction projects, including the first heavy construction project of HTP. These projects are projected to create 7,500 jobs and generate $1.5 billion in economic output. In addition, initial construction in preparation for tunnel boring has launched and will advance significantly in the new year.