1998 || 1999 || 2000 || 2000-2008 || 2011
Governor Pataki convenes the “I-287 Taskforce” to find ways to address increasing congestion in the I-287 corridor. State begins a ”Long-Term Needs Assessment and Alternative Analysis, I-287/Tappan Zee Bridge Corridor”
Governor Pataki suggests the idea of replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge. Transportation and elected officials, planners and activists gather for a two-day meeting on Tappan Zee Bridge to discuss ideas and opportunities.
Citing concerns about the aging structure and rising maintenance costs, as well as congestion, the Governor’s I-287 Task Force proposes rebuilding the Tappan Zee Bridge.
The State convenes extensive public meetings and studies resulting in five “alternatives” with all but the “do nothing” alternative including replacing the bridge and building bus rapid transit or commuter rail.
The state continues to maintain an archive of the study including a list of meetings and all of the study documents.
State agencies announce the “preferred alternative”, a new bridge and bus rapid transit service from Suffern to Port Chester, and eventually, a rail line into Manhattan. Bus rapid transit would provide a vital transit link, because more than 70% of commuters traveling across the Tappan Zee are headed to the suburbs (as opposed to into Manhattan) to work. The State’s own report found that “without major transit investments, already unacceptable levels of congestion are forecasted to occur in the corridor far into the future.” The State begins an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) as is required by law in order to start the project.
In a unilateral action Governor Cuomo reverses course, announcing that the transit portion of the project would be put off to an unnamed later date.
Unfortunately breaking off the transit portion of a project and saving it for later, makes it far less likely to be built. The George Washington Bridge was meant to eventually accommodate transit, and still today there are no bus lanes or train lines on it.
Today
Over two dozen good government, civic, labor and environmental groups are calling on Governor Cuomo to restore BRT to the Tappan Zee project. We can’t afford to wait.
Read more on the background of this project.
Read what the media has been saying.
Tell the Governor to put BRT back into the Tappan Zee plans.
