Today in Sleepy Hollow, County Executives Astorino, Vanderhoef, and Odell announced a mass transit agreement for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project, along with their plans to vote in favor of the project at next month’s NYMTC meeting (unanimous support from all voting NYMTC members is required for projects of regional significance to become eligible for certain federal funds). The agreement with Governor Cuomo included the creation of a task force to study transit options and a firmer commitment to dedicated bus lanes on the bridge from day one. While the dedicated bus lanes are a bankable victory for transit riders, Governor Cuomo, the county executives, and other stakeholders must work together to make sure that the task force has the financial backing, diverse engagement, and urgency that it needs to succeed.
Tri-State’s statement on the announcement is available on its website [pdf].
And when the BRT across the Hudson fails to attract customers just as the Harbor Freeway busway and Pittsburgh West Busway did, the lanes can easily be converted to HOV lanes and even Lexus lanes. Instead of finding ways to do rail economically and really change the landscape, everyone is going for the Bandaid in the sky.
This once again casts light on NYMTC’s fundamental flaw: It is not an independent entity, but a mere subsidiary of Cuomo’s New York State DOT. NYMTC’s budget is approved by NYSDOT, its staff consists solely of NYSDOT employees, NYSDOT pays the rent, and NYSDOT sets the agenda.
The fact that they can’t even host a functioning website (the full version has been MIA for months now) is proof positive of how weak an organization NYMTC is, compared to their absolutely critical mission of planning New York’s transportation future.
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