Riverkeeper Says New TZ Bridge Is 'On-the-Cheap'
Environmental agency urges feds to include mass transit
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The proposed new Tappan Zee Bridge's lack of mass transit has already upset a number of Rockland residents, but the decision has also raised the ire Riverkeeper, a watchdog group that preserves the Hudson River's ecology and drinking water.
Riverkeeper officials noted a lack of train and bus infrastructure—a move that cuts the span's cost by over $10 billion—will inevitably lead to more cars and pollution. The new crossing, expected to be complete by 2017, will also expand to include eight traffic lanes.
"Why are the lead state and federal agencies even bothering with an environmental impact analysis, when they've already decided what they're going to do: build an on-the-cheap, no-mass-transit bridge that does unnecessary damage to the Hudson River and nothing to help with traffic congestion or reducing carbon?" said Paul Gallay, president of Riverkeeper.
Gallay submit the group's complaints and suggestions to the New York State Department of Transportation, and also asked that Riverkeeper be involved in the decision making process.
"Before committing scarce public dollars, our officials need to study alternatives that harm the river less and actually do something to bring our transportation system into the 21st century," Gallay added.
Currently, the bridge's project team is carrying out a "detailed analysis of the environmental impact of the bridge, transit and highway improvements," and plans to release the findings, or the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), in the coming months. Readers can stay posted here.
In a scoping document detailing the project, officials added that law makers, civic groups and members of the public will have a chance to discuss and contest DEIS findings.
Riverkeeper has more than one issue regarding the project, however; the watchdog group is also concerned about how the bridge will affect surrounding communities. Further, Gallay and his colleagues believe the public is not being granted sufficient input, and that other options, like a Tappan Zee tunnel, were not studied in-depth.
"They haven't shown why a new bridge is better than refurbishing the old one," Gallay said.
Riverkeeper has teamed up with Pace Law School's Environmental Litigation Clinic when submitting comments, and released a statement noting they plan to keep close watch over the project.
"We want the public to have alternatives that public officials explain to us," Gallay added. "It's not a choice when you only give someone one alternative."
Madeline
7:04 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Glad to see that Riverkeeper is watching the surrounding communities... You need to look at all pieces of the project to see what the impact of mass transit and its effects to smaller communiites, namely a rail system would have. West Nyack especially would suffer dramatically with a rail over the Reformed Church on Strawtown Rd.. Talk about environmental impact and the overall quality of life to this area. Clarkstown is also being asked to take on the burden of the train stations the impact and taking of business to make this happen is also a major concern. I hope that the DEIS Statement takes many of the concerns into consideration and the impact that it will have to our communities.. The state is being asked to pay for a project that when it all boils down to it is people having to deal with some inconvience from time to time sitting in traffic... Think of why you moved here commuters Clarkstown offered alot of the country life that people were looking to move to... not a return of the city life you left.
Tony T
7:56 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
You are correct...we do not need to be a corridor city! I thought the Port Authority was building a new train tunnel across the Hudson that would open up the NJ Transit system east of the Hudson to direct runs into NYC? That is what Rockland residence should be supporting!
Richard Kavesh
9:01 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tony, Some months ago N.J. Governor Christie put a stop to the tunnel that would have given Rocklanders a one-seat ride to the west side of Manhattan. He then had the gall to refuse to return the federal funds that N.J. had already taken for the project! Concerning the east side: according to figures from the beginning of the TZ2 project, only 5% of the traffic that goes over the TZ is headed for the east side of Manhattan. However, while a ridership study was never undertaken (hence no cost per rider), I believe that the availability of CRT (train) over the new bridge would have taken a lot of commuters out of their cars and onto the train and into Grand Central. The new bridge without mass transit is essentially a jobs program to replace one obsolete bridge with another.
Tony T
10:37 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Christie did not stop the tunnel he just withdrew NJ's portion of the funding and left it up to the PA, NY and the Fed's.
Debra
9:04 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Residents of West Nyack do not want or need a train station and rail system that will destroy the beauty and peacefulness of this historic hamlet.
Debra
9:29 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
In addition to the train and rail system, how many more homes would have to be destroyed to make room for a super-sized parking facility? West Nyack would become a mass transit mess!
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9:30 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
two points..One for safety and more control and less wear and tear of the bridge..Limit trucks those over a certain weight to "specific times" of use say 8pm to 6am..then actually monitor their speeds of say no more than 40 miles per hour over the bridge.this is about protecting the structure its not about what they will have to do to unload where-ever they arrive.if a truck wants to say come over a certain day time Charge them 150.00 this is the correct way to protect drivers and save a bridge.
second..how about a new built switch in Secaucus for the train lines coming from upstate and rockland.into Penn station it may cost a few million BUT it will allow this region to grow with new young families...no stopping just a left turn at that area into exisiting tracks.TOO EASY?