Public Involvement
Throughout the course of the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Project the public has shared ideas, participated in meetings, open houses and other public events, or has visited the project Web site (www.tzbsite.com). The Project Team continues to encourage all stakeholders, particularly members of the general public, to get involved and stay involved.
Public Meetings and Open Houses
The Project Team has held formal public meetings such as original Scoping Meetings in 2003, and Scoping Update Meetings in February 2008, at which comments were taken formally, with subsequent comment periods. Open houses (2007 and 2010), Public Information Meetings (October 2008), and Community Working Meetings (2009) offered the same opportunities for providing comments and for one-on-one interaction with the project team. Additional formal and informal meetings will be held throughout the remainder of the project.
- List of all Meetings
Informational materials, including presentations, newsletters, brochures, fact sheets, informational charts and other graphics and handouts, have been produced and will continue to be provided at major milestones and as appropriate to keep the public fully informed on study developments. All efforts are made to ensure that materials are easy to read and appropriate for non-technical audiences.
- Visit our Library to view project material
Municipal and Community Working Meetings
Leading up to the selection of the DEIS options, the Project Team held dozens of working meetings with municipal officials across the corridor to present and obtain comments on bridge, highway, and transit alignment options. Additionally, the team held various Community Working Meetings with members of the public for the purpose of obtaining their input on project considerations. The attendees included residents, municipal officials and other stakeholders from Westchester, Rockland, Orange and surrounding counties. The team will continue to engage members of the public, including local planning and other officials as well as state and federal agencies to seek their input toward maximizing the quality of the completed study.
Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Panel
The team held a separate meeting with interested stakeholders to determine how best to incorporate standard non-motorized and pedestrian facilities on the Tappan Zee Bridge. This led to the formation of the Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Panel. In addition to working meetings, advisory panel members participated in a tour of regional bridges and other bike/pedestrian facilities. The advisory panel made several recommendations in 2010.
TOD - Technical Assistance Initiative
In November of 2009, the Project Team launched its technical assistance initiative on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) to provide training resources to corridor municipalities. The Team hosted two day-long workshops in the two counties. Events were attended by leaders and representatives of municipalities, government, organizations, as well as members of the public. The team then hosted eight two-day workshops involving several municipalities across the corridor from the winter through the summer of 2010.
Environmental Justice
In advancing its commitment to ensure that all Project stakeholders are represented and heard, the team continued its Environmental Justice outreach efforts by personally engaging and inviting members of traditionally under-represented groups to two dedicated meetings to present the transit and bridge alignment options and obtain input from participants toward improving the study. This effort was in keeping with federal regulations to assure non-discrimination on the basis of color, income, race, religion, English proficiency, national origin and ability/disability. The Project Team received robust participant input.
- Public Meetings
- Stakeholders’ Advisory Working Groups (SAWG) Meetings
- Stakeholder Committee Meetings
- Transit-Oriented Development Workshops (TOD)
- Community Outreach Centers
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Project Team has initiated the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) process. Once the DEIS is compiled, the document will be available at a number of public locations and on the project Web site. Formal hearings to gather public comment will follow once documents are issued. Feedback gathered during the hearings will be evaluated toward formulating the Final EIS. There will be other open houses and public forums in which stakeholders will be able to participate and share comments in the interest of improving the study.
Additionally, there will be many other opportunities to get involved and stay informed. Public involvement is a vital aspect of this project. The Project Team is committed to a continuous and comprehensive public outreach program providing the opportunity for frequent and meaningful public feedback. The Team strives to foster open communication and to be responsive to everyone interested in this important project.
To learn more about the EIS process or for more information, contact the project office at 914-358-0600 or send a message: Contact Us
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If you are unable to access a PDF file, please email your name and mailing address to tzbsite@dot.state.ny.us requesting a copy of the document.