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The Bergen Loop Would Bring Northern New Jersey, Rockland and Orange Counties Into The Regional Transit Network
By David Carlucci
For decades, commuters from northern New Jersey, Rockland County, and Orange County have awaited a simple but transformative promise: a one-seat, direct train ride into Manhattan. The key to that promise lies in the Bergen Loop, an essential piece of the multibillion-dollar Gateway Project designed to finally deliver streamlined transit for west-of-Hudson commuters.
The Bergen Loop would connect NJ Transit’s Main, Bergen, and Pascack Valley lines directly to the Northeast Corridor at Secaucus Junction. This connection would eliminate the common transfer that currently forces commuters to switch trains in a crowded, time-consuming scramble, cutting down commute times and improving reliability.
But thanks to the Trump administration’s freeze on $18 billion in federal Gateway funding, that promise now hangs in jeopardy. The pause threatens not only new Hudson River tunnels but the Bergen Loop itself, leaving tens of thousands of riders—many from Rockland and Orange Counties, who rely heavily on west-of-Hudson rail options—stuck in transit limbo.
Who Gets Hurt Most?
Northern New Jersey riders: Bergen and Passaic county commuters are the primary beneficiaries of the Bergen Loop. Without it, they continue to endure the overcrowded, inefficient transfer at Secaucus and face longer, less predictable trips into Manhattan.
West-of-Hudson commuters in Rockland and Orange counties: These communities have long faced a transit equity gap, lacking direct rail access to Penn Station. The Pascack Valley Line, dependent on the Bergen Loop to connect to the NEC, is their best hope for fair access to New York City jobs. Pausing this project extends the wait another decade for transit parity, forcing families to rely on congested roadways and outdated rail connections.
The broader regional economy: The Bergen Loop is what makes the Gateway tunnels more than just new tubes under the river. Acting like a circulatory system, it brings northern New Jersey—and crucially, Rockland and Orange Counties—into the regional transit network. Without that connection, the full potential of the Gateway investment remains locked out of reach for thousands of riders and local businesses.
The Bigger Picture
The Gateway Project is the most significant rail infrastructure investment anywhere in the country. It’s not just about building new tunnels under the Hudson River. It also includes critical track and station upgrades like the Bergen Loop that will improve access for more than half a million commuters across the region.
By freezing the Gateway budget, the administration in Washington has effectively frozen the Bergen Loop and related improvements too.
This issue goes far beyond New York and New Jersey. The entire Northeast Corridor from Washington, D.C., to Boston depends on a modern, efficient rail network for economic vitality. Every day Gateway’s progress is stalled means higher costs, slower commutes, and more risk for the most important economic region in America.
A Step Backward for Families and Workers
The Bergen Loop has been vetted through years of planning and environmental review. It is shovel-ready, cost-effective, and critically needed. Delaying it is not just about dollars and cents—it’s a direct hit to working families in Rockland, Orange, and northern New Jersey counties waiting for basic commuter fairness.
This is about more than just transit infrastructure. It’s about parents spending less time on trains and more time at home with their children. It’s about leveling the playing field for west-of-Hudson communities that have too often been left behind when it comes to access and opportunity.
The Bergen Loop isn’t a political bargaining chip or a luxury. It’s the bridge to economic equity for tens of thousands of daily riders, and it’s the essential link that makes the Gateway tunnels a true regional game-changer.
Why Local Leadership Matters
If Washington won’t uphold its commitment, New York, New Jersey, and the commuters who rely on this critical infrastructure must double down and push forward. The damage from continued delays will only grow, and the burden on families, businesses, and local economies will become heavier and more entrenched.
The Bergen Loop is a lifeline to economic growth, better quality of life, and environmental sustainability. Without it, the region falls behind while the rest of the country moves forward on modernizing transportation.
David Carlucci consults organizations on navigating government and securing funding. He served for ten years in the New York Senate.
