A new rail tunnel between New York City and New Jersey is once again in jeopardy. Chris Christie, who had hoped to run for president as a fiscal conservative, killed the project in 2010 when he was governor of New Jersey. Now President Trump is reportedly trying to block federal spending on the $30 billion tunnel, which is needed to replace two passageways that are more than a century old and damaged by flooding.

Local responsibility is preferable in many areas of public policy, but ensuring reliable long-distance transportation is not one of them.

Mr. Trump campaigned as uniquely qualified to improve the infrastructure of the United States, but he has so far made little discernible progress in this area, and the recent deadly collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Miami only reminds us of the possible costs of not taking this issue seriously. His administration’s infrastructure plan, released in February, includes only $200 billion in federal spending, with $1.3 trillion assigned to state and local governments, plus private investors. This ratio does not recognize the importance to the national economy of reliably conveying goods and passengers across state lines. A third rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey is not a local project. It will help connect the nation’s largest metropolitan area to several other major cities, including the capital of the United States.

Local responsibility is preferable in many areas of public policy, but ensuring reliable long-distance transportation is not one of them.

This article appears in April 2 2018.