Westchester and Rockland County Congresswoman Nita Lowey will ask the new administration to include funding for a new Tappan Zee Bridge as part of the President-elect’s economic stimulus package.

Responding to a question from the White Plains CitizeNetReporter, Lowey said the “Tappan Zee Bridge is absolutely critical to Westchester and Rockland County, and I intend to work with my colleagues to do whatever we can to make it (the Tappan Zee replacement) part of the  stimulus package.”

Lowey says a second $600-700B stimulus package will include funds for roads, bridges, highways. “[These] jobs that will put people to work and I intend to advocate for the Tappan Zee Bridge to be a part of that effort,” she said.

Source: White Plains CitizeNetReporter

Photo Credit: Nyack Daily Snapshot

On Friday State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli vowed that the State would find a way to continue with the Tappan Zee bridge replacement, despite the fiscal crises. 

DiNapoli addressed a group of public officials, business leaders, and concerned residents Friday at Rockland County Community College to discuss the project’s future, and its affect on the regional economy.

Al Samuels, president of the Rockland Business Association, said the project could not be delayed. 

“Somehow the federal government created $700 billion for certain segments. Money can always be found. It’s just a matter of getting to the right people and making the right case,” he said. “The Tappan Zee Bridge is a structure that will ultimately be unsafe.”

Regional transportation officials will present details about building a new Tappan Zee Bridge and accompanying commuter rail and bus rapid transit services at Rockland Community College at 4p and 7p on Wednesday, October 29.

The $16B plan replaces the existing 52 year old bridge adding a bus rapid transit (BRT) system along the 30-mile highway corridor across Rockland and Westchester counties. A commuter rail transit system will cross the new Tappan Zee Bridge creating a one-seat ride from Rockland to Grand Central Terminal.

Additional meetings will also be held on

• Tuesday, October 28 at White Plains Senior High School
  550 North Street, White Plains, NY 10605
• Thursday, October 30 at Central Valley Elementary School
  45 Route 32, Central Valley, NY 10917

Meetings in all three locations are at 4p and 7p.

See also: Times Hearld-Record, TZB Site, NyackNewsAndViews

In Minneapolis, locals say there are only two seasons: Winter and Road Repair. TZB commuters are in for another week of the latter as deck panel replacement construction continues this week on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Here’s a day by day summary of what to expect: Continue reading →

A $54 million study has concluded that it’s cheaper to build a Tappan Zee Bridge replacement than to repair the current structure. Although the 150,000 daily riders have no reason to fear for their safety, transit officials say the TZB doesn’t meet current national standards.

A $16 billion replacement is planned, including a new bridge just north of the current structure (Cost: $6.4B), a 30 mile bus rapid transit from Suffern To Port Chester ($2.9B), and a one-stop rail link from Rockland County to Grand Central Station (6.7B).

The new bridge, first proposed by Governor Pataki in 1999, would open 2016 if environmental hurdles are cleared and funding is secured. The Bus Rapid Transit service would begin operation on “day one” of the bridge’s opening, according to NYSDOT Commissioner Astrid Glynn. Rail lines will follow later. Pedestrian and bike paths are also being considered as part of the plan.

Public meetings will be held next month prior to development of a Final Scoping Report. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be completed by 4Q 2009 followed by a Final Environmental Impact Statement in early 2010.

Rockland Community College will host transportation officials for a public meeting on the project on October 29.

Sources: Gothamist, Poughkeepsie Journal, BalconyNewYork

The right lane of southbound lane of the Tappan Zee Bridge will be closed for bridge maintenance, from milepost 16.1 to 13.1 Tuesday through Friday this week (September 2-5) beginning at 9:30a. Maintenance will conclude at 2:45p each day except on Friday when operations complete at 1p.

For immediate updates on bridge traffic visit the NYDOT’s real-time transportation status Web page.

Source: Westchester.com

ScienceNow Daily News says the NYC area is due for an earthquake. Yes, *this* New York City.

Geoscientists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, NY count 383 sesmic events in our area since 1677. The research was compiled as part of studies for a new Tappan Zee Bridge and re-licensing Indian Point. You have to go back to 1884 to find a quake of magnitude five or greater. But in geological terms, that’s a blink of an eye.

Perhaps this is good material for a Nyack area author with writer’s block looking for their next best seller. If you someday soon see titles like

Panic in The Palisades,
Hudson Horror or
Nyack, The Village Under The Hudson try not to be too surprised.

Source: ScienceNow Daily News, August 22

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner says windmills should be added to plans for a new Tappan Zee Bridge. Feiner made the suggestion at a Las Vegas conference on alternative energy this week.

Feiner wrote the following on his blog earlier this week, following up comments made by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the same conference. Continue reading →

County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef will talk about taxes and the Tappan Zee Bridge on Cablevision Channel 118 at 7:30a and 10a, and 2p, 6p and 10p. The program airs from August 3-9.

Source: Journal News