TSTC has released preliminary comments on the Tappan Zee replacement project’s draft environmental impact statement (DEIS).
The release is reproduced below, and there is also a .pdf available here.
TSTC’s preliminary review has found a number of issues with the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project. Among them are:
The state has not fully examined all possible alternatives for the project. During the October scoping hearings, there was a clear call for public transit on the bridge, but the DEIS does not address it.
Despite a consensus among Lower Hudson residents that bus rapid transit (BRT) would solve the region’s congestion problems, the DEIS does not plan to include it.
The DEIS suggests that the bridge replacement will have no negative air quality impact. TSTC regards this projection with skepticism, since previous environmental documents have said that public transportation was necessary to address congestion and pollution in the Hudson Valley.
The DEIS claims that the new bridge is in compliance with New York’s Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act, a piece of legislation that requires infrastructure projectsto incorporate sustainability measures and plan for the future. In particular, projects must “encourage and allow for greater public transportation options with the goal of reducing automobile usage.” In the case of the Tappan Zee Bridge, this requirement is unmet.
The document ignores the economic benefits of building public transit. We maintain that a BRT system in the I-287 corridor would create jobs now and in the future.
There is still no financial plan for the project.
TSTC reminds New Yorkers that the public conversation is not over yet: there are public meetings on February 28 and March 1. We also invite people to visit our website, brtonthebridge.org, to learn more about the need for a 21st century bridge.
TSTC will release a more complete assessment of the DEIS next week.
I QUITE AGREE. WE MUST BUILD A 21ST CENTURY CROSSING, BUT THIS IS NOT FOR THE TAPPAN ZEE ONLY. THE ANSWER IS NOT MERELY A BRIDGE. THE TRANSPORTATION IN THIS REGION WILL ONLY BE SERVED BY A SYSTEM RUNNING FROM MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY TO SYOSSET, LONG ISLAND. MORE THAN HALF THE TRAFFIC ALONG THIS ROUTE IS COMMERCIAL HEAVY TRUCKING. THE SYSTEM MUST INCLUDE TRUCK ON TRAIN, HEAVY AND HIGH SPEED RAIL, COMMUTER RAIL, BUSES, LIGHT TRUCKING, CARS, ENERGY, WATER, DATA, AND WHATEVER ELSE NEEDS TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION IN THE FUTURE. SUCH A SYSTEM CAN ONLY BE SERVED WITH NO ENVIRONMENTAL OR COMMUNITY DAMAGE USING THE ULTRA LARGE DIAMETER TUNNELS DEVELOPED FOR THE HUDSON RIVER CROSSING IN OCTOBER 2003, PERFECTED IN SHANGHAI WITH COMPLETION IN 2008, AND SERVING 70 MILLION PEOPLE ATTENDING THE WORLD TRADE FAIR. THE TECHNOLOGY IS NOW BEING FURTHER REFINED IN ST. PETERSBURG. CONSTRUCTION IS RAPID, ECONOMICAL, AND UTTERLY REMOVED FROM THE SURFACE ENVIRONMENT. AIR QUALITY IS SCRUBBED AND MONITORED. OPERATIONS ARE UNAFFECTED BY WEATHER. SAFETY IN ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSPORT IS ASSURED. THE PRESENT BRIDGE PLAN, EVEN IF IT INCLUDES BRT, IS PATHETICALLY INADEQUATE TO FACE THE REGION’S NEEDS. THE COST OF $5.2 BILLION, FOR STARTERS, IS OUTRAGEOUS IN THAT SHANGHAI WAS DONE FOR $0.8 BILLION, AND THE ECONOMY OF EXPERIENCE IS LEADING TO FURTHER PRECIPITOUS LOWERING OF PRODUCTION COSTS. AS MULTIPLE HEADINGS MAY BE USED, COMPLETION CAN BE EXTREMELY RAPID AND EMPLOYMENT VERY HIGH. I DO HOPE TSTC WILL JOIN THE MODERN WORLD AND INSIST THAT THE HUDSON RIVER CROSSING BE DONE NOT AS AN IMPEDIMENT TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT AS A FLYING START. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THESE POINTS IN THE 2 MINUTE SOUND BITES PERMITTED AT THE MANY MEETINGS OF THE VARIOUS STUDY TEAMS AND LEAD AGENCIES OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS. IT IS TIME THAT PEOPLE STARTED TO TAKE A REALISTIC VIEW OF THE PROBLEMS CONFRONTING US, AND COME UP WITH REALISTIC ANSWERS.
[…] of the new spans. The video reiterates the same points Tri-State has been questioning for over a year: claims that the bridge will accommodate future transit and alleviate traffic by reducing […]