Rockland Leaders Blast New TZ Bridge Plan

The first public hearing on the new Tappan Zee Bridge's environmental impact is , but a group of local and regional politicians, environmentalists, transportation officials and others have already released a statement blasting the state's plan.

The letter—signed off on by Nyack mayor Jen Laird-White, Rockland County executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, New York State assemblywoman Amy Paulin, the MTA Labor Coalition and others—calls into question the $5.2 billion plan's financing, affect on the Hudson River and lack of mass tranit.

"The state is rushing into one of the largest infrastructure projects in the nation with no clear plan of how to pay for it and no clear sense of the short- and long-term environmental impacts of the project," the statement reads.

"Local elected officials are calling on the state to take the time needed to ensure that the Tappan Zee project makes the best use of the state’s and taxpayers’ limited resources and plans for the future," it continues. "Government watchdog groups believe the DEIS is flawed and incomplete."

Here's a roundup of salient points in the statement, and who said what:

"With some toll projections on the 'new bridge' going as high as thirty dollars and no alternative public transportation option yet in place, residents of Rockland and Orange Counties would struggle financially to cross the bridge. Ironically, a bridge being built to create jobs would limit the ability of millions of hard-working New Yorkers to reach their places of employment or to seek work elsewhere."

—Jen Laird White, Village of Nyack Mayor

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"The advantages of including bus rapid transit from the beginning will far outweigh the costs, inconveniences and remediation that will be required later on if it is not included."

—Amy Paulin, Assemblywoman, 88th district

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"Governor Cuomo's rush to build an on-the-cheap bridge is a lose-lose situation for New Yorkers, because it undercuts public participation and pushes a replacement without mass transit, a proposal that is obsolete from day one."

—Paul Gallay, President and Hudson Riverkeeper

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"Congestion and environmental concerns coupled with the probability of major toll increases, makes a bus rapid transit option a smart investment that strengthens the economic viability of the entire region."

—Robert Astorino, Westchester County Executive

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"The planners are strongly encouraged to ensure that the new infrastructure is designed in a way that will enable it to support bus rapid transit services and commuter rail on this vital transportation corridor for the Hudson Valley."

—C. Scott Vanderhoef, Rockland County Executive

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"The state is missing a huge opportunity by pushing this project through without mass transportation—if there’s no commitment made now, there’s little chance we’ll see it for many years to come if ever."

—Drew Fixell, Village of Tarrytown Mayor