Open Houses - February 27-28, 2007
PowerPoint Presentation

The Presentation can be viewed in the following formats:

Welcome to the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Study Outreach Meeting. This meeting is one of several that will be conducted by the Project Team to inform the public on the status of the study at key milestones. This brief presentation will provide you with background information on the detailed materials that you will see today.

The TZB/I-287 project is a joint effort by three New York State agencies: the Department of Transportation, the New York State Thruway Authority, and MTA Metro-North Railroad. Given the complexity of the project and its regional significance, the three agencies are working together to develop and implement transportation solutions for the 30-mile corridor between Suffern in Rockland County and Port Chester in Westchester County. This is also a joint effort between two federal agencies – the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

The goals of the project, identified at its inception, are to improve mobility and accessibility in the corridor, meet travel demand, maintain infrastructure and  improve safety and security while avoiding, minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts and providing cost-effective solutions.

The environmental review process for this project is being implemented in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, and, at the state level, the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA. It is being conducted in three stages. Stage 1 was the Alternatives Analysis Process where concepts were screened and 6 alternatives were developed to be studied in detail in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or DEIS. That process culminated with publication of the Alternatives Analysis report in January 2006. We are currently in Stage 2, preparation of the DEIS, where the environmental impacts of the 6 alternatives are being studied. The DEIS will identify a Locally Preferred Alternative, that is, the agencies’ recommendation for project implementation. Finally, in Stage 3, after public hearings on the DEIS, a Final EIS will be prepared, reflecting public comments on the Draft. The Record of Decision completes the environmental review process.

The descriptions that follow represent a bird’s-eye view of the six alternatives. They were developed as concepts in the Alternatives Analysis stage. We have spent the last year advancing these alternative concepts into detailed engineering plans. While an alternative could once be described in simplified graphic form, you will see as you proceed into the exhibits that it now takes nearly 50 feet of drawings to describe each one.

Alternative 1 is the no-build alternative, one that is required for analysis in environmental impact statements. It is the yardstick against which the impacts of build alternatives are measured. Under this alternative, maintenance of the bridge and the Thruway would continue in order to keep the facilities in a safe operating condition. In addition, this alternative does include approved program improvements for I-287 in Westchester County, as do all other alternatives.  However, it should be noted that no build does not mean no impact. There are transportation, environmental and cost impacts related to doing nothing.

Alternative 2 involves rehabilitation of the existing bridge to meet current design and seismic standards. It also includes implementation of Transportation Demand Management/Transportation Systems Management (TDM/TSM) measures such as congestion pricing, ramp metering and increased E-Z Pass usage. Some of these measures are already being implemented by the Thruway Authority. These TDM/TSM measures are part of all build alternatives.

The main span of the bridge would be rehabilitated, with the bridge remaining in its current configuration with 7 travel lanes and the movable barrier. It should also be noted that half of the bridge (the trestle section) would have to be entirely replaced. When completed, however, this alternative would result in ongoing high maintenance costs, traffic disruptions and traffic safety issues. For example, there are currently no shoulders on the bridge for motorists to safely pull out of traffic.

For the major build alternatives, 3, 4A, 4B, and 4C, there are common highway improvements being considered for all. These include:

• High occupancy toll, or HOT lanes, across Rockland County and over a replacement bridge. These HOT lanes are primarily for buses and high occupancy vehicles. Single occupancy vehicles would be allowed into the lanes on a dynamic toll basis, that is, a toll that increases as traffic congestion increases.
• Rockland County is characterized by steep grades (3 to 4%) that affect the movement of traffic and also how rail transit would be implemented in the corridor. Thus, we are studying possible westbound and eastbound climbing lanes.
• Finally, a possible lane extension near Suffern is being considered to balance the lane configuration on the Thruway.

There are also common replacement bridge concepts for Alternatives 3, 4A, 4B and 4C. A replacement bridge would be constructed just north of the existing bridge. However, it is most important to note that the replacement bridge touches down in Nyack and Tarrytown in the same locations as the existing bridge.  As shown in the enlargements, the dashed lines show the existing right-of-way for the bridge and Thruway. The replacement bridge touches down within the existing right-of-way.

Alternative 3 is Full-Corridor Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT. It includes the HOT lanes and climbing lanes in Rockland and a replacement bridge as just described. Buses would use the HOT lanes in Rockland and over the bridge, keeping out of mixed traffic. In Westchester County, the buses would use exclusive bus lanes, largely on existing streets such Route 119, local streets in White Plains, and Westchester Avenue. These lanes could be used by existing bus services such as the (Westchester County) Bee-Line System, which would be a major benefit to bus users.

Alternative 4A is the first of three alternatives involving commuter rail transit, or CRT. It would include the previously described highway improvements in Rockland County and a replacement bridge. From the transit perspective, it offers full-corridor CRT from Suffern to Port Chester with direct connections or transfers to the Port Jervis, Hudson, Harlem, New Haven lines and possibly to the Pascack Valley Line. There would be 9 or 10 new stations along the corridor, including a major station in Tarrytown, called the Tappan Zee Station. This alternative would offer a one-seat ride for passengers from Rockland and Orange Counties across the corridor to Stamford and also to New York City.

Alternative 4B differs from 4A in the type of transit service across Westchester County. It includes the previously described highway improvements, a replacement bridge, and direct rail connection to the Hudson Line for a one-seat ride to New York City. In Westchester, the transit mode would be light rail, or LRT. This service would start at the existing Tarrytown Station, connect to the new Tappan Zee transfer station, and then continue across the county. It would be primarily in its own right-of-way along Route 119 and Westchester Avenue, and in White Plains it would be on local streets.

Alternative 4C includes the previously described highway improvements, a replacement bridge, and direct rail connection to the Hudson Line for a one-seat ride to New York City. However, in Westchester, the transit mode would be bus rapid transit, generally following the bus routes described in Alternative 3.

Our goal is to provide a long-term solution to transportation and improving mobility in the corridor. The DEIS will be available to the public in early 2008, with a FEIS and Record of Decision later that year. Final engineering and construction would follow.  The time of construction depends on the preferred alternative selected.

For further information, please contact Michael P. Anderson, project team leader for the New York State Department of Transportation. You can also view all of the materials presented here today at our outreach centers in Tarrytown and Nyack and on our project Web site.