After requests from County Executives Rob Astorino, MaryEllen Odell, and C. Scott Vanderhoef, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) has postponed a crucial vote for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project set for July 10th that would have advanced the project forward as part of NYMTC’s regional plan. The county executives, some of whom have previously raised concerns with casting a vote in the absence of critical information, requested a postponement of the meeting until after being able to review the final environmental impact study (FEIS) for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project. The FEIS is due out sometime in July.
Since the fast-tracking of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement last October, New York State has hurtled forward with a project that relies upon inadequate environmental review documents. The project’s draft environmental impact statement, which aimed for a bridge that did not “preclude transit,” hinged on questionable cost calculations, a loose interpretation of New York State’s Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act, and an inadequate alternatives analysis. Additionally, the public had 45 days to comment on a document that was over 1,800 pages long—a woefully insufficient amount of time for a project of this size that was ultimately, yet partially, addressed with a 15-day extension.
Transparency concerns abound in the new, fast-tracked process: a financial plan to pay for the project has not yet been released, advocates had to wait 129 days for information requested in FOIL requests, and the FEIS has not yet been released.
At a recent town hall meeting, New York State announced that there would be rush hour bus lanes on the new Tappan Zee Bridge, but advocates called for a more comprehensive plan that would meet the mobility needs of the congested I-287 corridor. It remains to be seen if the final environmental impact statement will adequately address the community’s needs.
All three county executives are on NYMTC, whose voting members must unanimously consent to new regional transportation projects. A single “no” vote could stop the project from moving forward. No new date has been set for the vote.
This project, though badly needed, should not move forward until its design ensures that 1. eventually rail transit can be added (at least 2 tracks), 2. that from day 1 it will have HOV and possibly bus lanes, 3. that the design actually works, and 4. that the design leads to a bridge that looks good, and appropriate, on this magnificent river. Concepts I’ve seen make the current hunk of scrap metal look better then they do. It needs to be either suspension or cable stay or some variant, and it probably needs to be now, or eventually, two decks.
The two deck “long span” option should be explicitly promoted by TSTC, rather than acting as if its simply OK to just have the wide shoulders for a bus.
I was told that this option costs some $200 million more now, which is cheaper than an all new parallel span later.
You mean NYMTC is for once not going to be a rubber stamp? That there might actually be a thoughtful discussion of transportation spending priorities in the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the region and possibly open public debate among NYMTC appointees? This is potentially exciting news.
TUNNEL-800M BRIDGE-8B
RAIL NO
AIR SCRUB NO
EXTEND TO LI NOT A CHANCE
RESTORE WATERFRONTS DESTROY
2 YEARS 6-8 YEARS
5000 JOBS FOR 10 YEARS IF LI EXTENSION 4000? (LESS THAN 4000 BUILT TZB)
6 LANES 4 BUS 2 RAIL 8 LANES 2 EMERGENCY 1 BIKE
UNSEEN OR HEARD VISUAL BLIGHT AND NOISE
BELOW PCB SILT 1500 PENETRATIONS OF SILT
250 MILES SHORTER FOR FREIGHT NO FREIGHT
VERY LONG LIFE CONTINUOUS MAINTAINANCE
LOWER TOLLS WOW
SERVES WHOLE REGION CROSSES RIVER
SMART POLITICALLY CORRECT
SORRY MY FORMAT DID NOT CARRY THRU, BUT YOU CAN SORT IT OUT
SORRY MY FORMAT WITH COLUMNS DID NOT CARRY THRU, BUT YOU CAN SORT IT OUT. THE ADVANTAGES ARE OBVIOUS.
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