Getting Up to Speed
A Case for Bus Rapid Transit and Transit-Oriented
Development in the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor

Executive Summary

Traffic congestion on the Tappan Zee Bridge and along the I-287  corridor between Suffern and Port Chester is an obvious problem that is likely to worsen with time and cannot be solved through road widening or other highway improvements.  As the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Environmental Review moves forward, it is clear that mass transit must be a part of the Tappan Zee corridor’s future.

The most pressing transportation need in the I-287 corridor is effective suburb-to-suburb transit.  The majority of people crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge at rush hour are driving from dispersed homes in Rockland, Orange, and Bergen counties to dispersed jobs in Westchester County and Connecticut; providing these drivers with an effective mass transit alternative will do the most to reduce congestion in the corridor.

Full report at: http://www.tstc.org/press/2007/GettingUpToSpeed_2007.pdf

CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT is a group which opposes building a new Tappan Zee Bridge.

Tappan Zee Alternatives – Why No Tunnels?

The State Department of Transportation (the lead agency for the Tappan Zee Bridge project) has refused to consider a tunnel alternative and this could be a serious and costly mistake.

In an era when tunnels are being built around the world instead of bridges, it is difficult to understand the reluctance of the D.O.T. to consider this option either as a replacement for the bridge or simply as a supplement to the current crossing. Tunnels similar in length to this span are being built in other parts of the world in less time than it takes to build a bridge and for less money

The Tappan Zee Bridge is now undergoing a replacement of the causeway decking at an estimated cost of approximately $150 million. If past experience is any guide to the future, the final cost could be a great deal more. Commuters will most likely have to pay for this rehabilitation with increased tolls. Continue reading →