Last night, TSTC received notice that an invitation to the February 16th Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project stakeholders meeting “was sent in error.” A follow-up call to the New York State Department of Transportation revealed that the meeting has been canceled. Invitations to the stakeholder meeting were sent on January 24th. It’s unclear why it took the state two weeks to realize its mistake.

The letter clarified that the state had intended to invite us to the public hearings for the project, which are scheduled for February 28 and March 1.

Throughout the Tappan Zee Bridge project’s history, stakeholder meetings have been held prior to public meetings for those with more detailed questions and concerns about the project. For example, advocates want to know why bus rapid transit cost estimates increased so dramatically in the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), why the state did not evaluate a range of alternatives (as required by NEPA), and how the state plans to follow through on its promise to build transit at a later date. None of these questions are likely to be answered at a public hearing.

State officials insist that this was an honest mistake, but the cancellation certainly does not instill confidence in the agencies in charge of this $5 billion project.

For more information on the Tappan Zee project, visit www.brtonthebridge.org.