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GREENBURGH, N.Y. - The Greenburgh Town Board has officially joined a growing list of voices urging state and federal officials to include infrastructure for public transportation when constructing the new Tappan Zee Bridge.
In a resolution passed Tuesday night, town officials stated New York and the Federal Highway Administration should not repeat mistakes of the past by not having a mass transit component on the bridge, which is utilized by approximately 138,000 vehicles daily.
"Residents of the Town of Greenburgh and other communities in the TZB service area would be burdened by many years of unnecessarily increasing traffic if transit infrastructure is not included in the TZB replacement," the board stated. "The development of public transportation as part of the TZB replacement is central to relieving congestion in the corridor and local arterials, improving air quality, achieving sustainability goals, reducing independence on fossil fuels, improving pedestrian safety, and improving motorist travel time in Westchester and New York State."
The estimated cost of replacing the bridge is $5.2 billion. Adding a bus rapid transit system is estimated to cost an additional $1 billion. The second of two public hearings on the findings of the draft environmental impact statement for the project will from 4-9 p.m. today at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown.
Ross Pepe, president of the 600-member Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, issued a statement this week agreeing with Greenburgh's stance.
"Given that the lifespan of a new crossing will extend over a century, it is prudent to design the new bridge to take full advantage of the flexibility for future transportation modes that may not yet have even been invented," Pepe said. "Therefore, it is prudent to replace the bridge now with design features that will permit the new bridge to optimize the flexibility for future transit modes in the project area."
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