Bridges
Streetsblog Basics
Cuomo to Co-Host Tappan Zee Public Meetings With Anti-Transit Ideologues
Up to now, the Cuomo administration hasn't shown a great regard for public input when it comes to the new Tappan Zee Bridge. The administration dismissed five stakeholder advisory groups, which had been set up to let interested parties dig deep into the details of the project, and shuttered the public outreach offices located on each side of the Hudson.
July 17, 2012
Even a Paltry $150M For Tappan Zee Transit Is Too Much For Andrew Cuomo
Earlier this week, Streetsblog reported that Governor Andrew Cuomo is dishonestly overstating the cost of building Tappan Zee Bridge transit. Cuomo has repeatedly said that building a 30-mile bus rapid transit system would cost $5 billion, and that the state can't afford to spend that much. But that number is inflated by the inclusion of billions of dollars in highway improvements, like new climbing lanes for trucks, many of which are entirely unrelated to providing transit.
July 12, 2012
State Reports Belie Cuomo’s Claim That Tappan Zee Transit Will Cost $5B
At the beginning of the week, Governor Andrew Cuomo launched a media offensive to defend his decision to halt all work on building new transit infrastructure across the Tappan Zee Bridge. "The bus system would roughly double the cost of the bridge," Cuomo told radio host Fred Dicker.
July 11, 2012
County Execs Want More Details Before Voting on Tappan Zee Replacement
Faced with a crucial vote that could have set federal funding in motion for the Cuomo administration's transit-less Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, three county leaders have asked for more information before signing off on the project.
July 5, 2012
Cuomo Admin Makes Small First Move to Improve Transit on Tappan Zee
Last night Hudson Valley commuters got their first taste of good news when it comes to building transit across the Tappan Zee Bridge. As reported by the Journal News' Khurram Saeed, the Cuomo administration now says it will allow buses to use the "emergency access" lanes it intends to build on both spans of the new Tappan Zee Bridge, though only during rush hour.
June 29, 2012
The Tappan Zee Questions Cuomo Won’t Answer and the Times Won’t Ask
After reporting yesterday that the Westchester and Rockland county executives have the power to put the brakes on Governor Andrew Cuomo's plans for a new Tappan Zee Bridge built without transit, Streetsblog received an email from Cuomo spokesperson Matt Wing. Wing, who has in the past told us that we were not to contact the governor's office for Tappan Zee questions, but send them instead to the Thruway Authority, complained that we hadn't reached out to him and insisted that we include this statement:
June 27, 2012
Astorino and Vanderhoef Can Block Transit-Less Tappan Zee. Will They?
County Executives Rob Astorino and C. Scott Vanderhoef have been two of the most consistent and vocal advocates of restoring transit to the plans for a new Tappan Zee Bridge. They have understood that Westchester and Rockland County commuters need a way to travel east-west without a car and need congestion relief on crowded I-287.
June 26, 2012
Transit-Free Tappan Zee Bridge Financial Plan: It’s “Dynamic”!
The Cuomo administration plans to select a team to build the new Tappan Zee Bridge this summer and begin construction this year. So it's about time for the governor to say how he plans to pay for the bridge, right?
May 29, 2012
Cuomo: Robert Moses Would Be Proud of My Transit-Free Tappan Zee Bridge
Governor Andrew Cuomo's Tappan Zee Bridge bears all the hallmarks of a Robert Moses project. Cuomo stripped popular transit elements from the original, publicly-conceived plan, leaving only a massive highway. Cuomo has shut down the public outreach process for the bridge entirely. He's even moving to sign the contracts to build the bridge before answering basic questions about its design and funding. (Cuomo's less-than-transparent answer about how the state will pay for the bridge today: "We're working on a number of funding options.")
May 3, 2012
State GOP: Cuomo’s Transit-Less Tappan Zee Would Be Obsolete on Day One
This item slipped under the radar late Friday afternoon: The New York State Republican Party is calling out Governor Andrew Cuomo for abandoning transit on the Tappan Zee Bridge.
April 30, 2012