Re: (erielack) Tappan Zee Rail Project

["Alexander Scandrett" <"scanlpr_@_usit.net">]

It would be nice for it to happened, however, at this time most of the =
"proposal" is without merit and a waste of Taxpayers money. By the way, =
What happened to the Direct High Speed Service to NYC that was proposed =
20 years ago. What line did they have in mind for "upgrading"?
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Alex



- ----- Original Message -----=20
From: Christopher Thurner <"cthurner_@_adelphia.net">
To: TIMOTHY O. STUY <"njmidland_@_compuserve.com">; erielack =
<"erielack_@_internexus.net">
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 17:46
Subject: RE: (erielack) Tappan Zee Rail Project


> Timothy O. Stuy wrote:
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: "erielack-owner_@_internexus.net" =
[mailto:"erielack-owner_@_internexus.net"]
> On Behalf Of TIMOTHY O. STUY
> Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 3:51 PM
> To: erielack
> Subject: (erielack) Tappan Zee Rail Project
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> I noticed this morning that the state of NY is proposing the replace =
the
> existing Tappan Zee Bridge with a new one that would "link Stewart =
Airport
> with the Hudson Line of Metro-North".
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> I am assuming they would rebuild the Piermont Branch to reach the =
Tappan
> Zee?  What rail line is near Stewart Airport?
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> Tim
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>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit the erielack photopage at http://el-list.railfan.net
> That's an interesting point, Tim.   I have take the liberty of pasting =
an
> article from today's NY Times regarding this.
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> Note that the line to Stewart Airport would terminate at Port Jervis.  =
I
> wonder how much of the former Erie Newburgh line is around that could =
be
> utilized for this?
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> Note the pessimism from some of the respondents on whether it will =
happen or
> not.  Also, note that one line goes from Stewart Airport west to PJ =
and the
> other over the proposed bridge from Suffern to Port Chester.
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> How are these lines going to link?  One may presume that the Suffern =
lines
> would link to the former Erie.
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> I'd be a little skeptical myself with the Stewart Airport line.  It =
just
> doesn't seem to fit into a plan for the Tappan Zee as it's at least 40 =
miles
> north of the bridge.  The skeptics might be right that this is just a =
carrot
> being dangled in front of the public.
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> Regards,
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> Chris Thurner
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> [NL]
> =
[NL]/images/maintoolbar2.map/images/maintoolbar2.map[NL]http://images3.ny=
tim
> =
es.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nytimes.com/00/01/12/news/national/=
reg
> =
ional/ny-tapanzee.html/0/Top/default/empty.gif/7468756e6465726f7361http:/=
/im
> =
ages3.nytimes.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nytimes.com/00/01/12/new=
s/n
> =
ational/regional/ny-tapanzee.html/0/Top/default/empty.gif/7468756e6465726=
f73
> 61
> January 12, 2000[PARA]Task Force Backs Demolishing Tappan Zee Bridge
> [PARA]By DAVID W. CHEN[PARA]HITE PLAINS, Jan. 11 -- The Tappan Zee =
Bridge
> has become so dilapidated and is so congested that it should be torn =
down
> and replaced with a new eight-lane bridge with commuter rail tracks, a =
state
> task force recommended today. [PARA]A new bridge would cost $4 =
billion,
> according to the task force, which was appointed by Gov. George E. =
Pataki
> last year to study ways to ease traffic on the Tappan Zee. [PARA]It =
also
> recommended increasing tolls during peak driving periods to reduce
> congestion while a new bridge was being built. [PARA]The =
recommendations are
> likely to be unpopular with many people on both sides of the Tappan =
Zee,
> which spans the Hudson River between Nyack, in Rockland County, and
> Tarrytown, in Westchester County. Just last week, more than 400 people
> packed a meeting of the New York State Thruway Authority in Nyack,
> expressing skepticism and anger at the suggestion of a new bridge, =
which
> they said could adversely affect the environment, add traffic and =
compromise
> their quality of life. [PARA]But after a meeting in Manhattan today, =
the
> task force, which was headed by E. Virgil Conway, the chairman of the
> Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said that it would cost $1 =
billion to
> rehabilitate the bridge. The better solution, the task force said, =
would be
> a new bridge parallel to the existing one, with four lanes in each
> direction, bracketed by commuter rail tracks. The existing bridge, =
which
> opened in 1955, would then be demolished. [PARA]The rail link would =
consist
> of two new pieces. One would originate at Stewart Airport, in =
Newburgh, and
> end at an existing terminal at Port Jervis. The other would stretch =
from
> Suffern, cross the new bridge between Nyack and Tarrytown, then end at =
an
> existing station in Port Chester. [PARA]If approved, the =
bridge-and-rail
> project could be finished in 10 years. In the meantime, the task force
> recommended, the best temporary solution to alleviate a nightmarish =
commute
> would be to introduce what is called congestion pricing, which raises =
the
> toll at certain times of day to induce drivers to make the trip when =
traffic
> is lighter. [PARA]"There is no silver bullet or easy remedy for this
> situation," said Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for the M.T.A., "but given =
all of
> the alternatives and all of the time and effort that was put in by =
these
> people, these are the most viable solutions." [PARA]The =
recommendations will
> be delivered to Mr. Pataki, perhaps as soon as the end of this week, =
Mr.
> Kelly said. But there is no timetable for action by the governor. =
[PARA]"We
> want to see the details of the report," said Michael McKeon, a =
spokesman for
> Mr. Pataki. "The governor wants to give it a thorough review before he =
makes
> his decision." [PARA]Even so, those who have followed the progress of =
Mr.
> Pataki's task force said today that they would be surprised if Mr. =
Pataki
> did not endorse the general idea of a new bridge. [PARA]The governor =
said
> last summer that replacing the bridge was an option because "it is so =
old
> and does need such major repair." [PARA]Many residents, =
environmentalists
> and transit groups appear to be preparing for what could a dogged =
fight
> against the recommendations. They say the task force's suggestions =
leave
> many crucial questions unanswered, including whether the project will =
entail
> widening the Cross Westchester Expressway, whether the federal =
government
> will pitch in with financing and how much land will need to be =
condemned.
> [PARA]"Huge feasibility questions are not answered," said Jon Orcutt,
> associate director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a =
coalition of
> private environmental groups. "So we think the new bridge is a Trojan =
horse
> for widening the Thruway in Rockland County." [PARA]Mr. Orcutt said he
> believed the railroad aspect of the project was more of an =
afterthought.
> [PARA]"To us, it's a highway and bridge project and they're dangling =
transit
> as the bait, but the transit is not real," he said. [PARA]No one =
doubts that
> the Tappan Zee Bridge is well past its prime. Though it affords =
drivers
> spectacular views, traffic on it is frequently bumper to bumper. =
[PARA]The
> seven-lane bridge was built to accommodate 100,000 vehicles a day, but =
it
> now handles an average of 130,000. [PARA]In recent years, planners and
> government officials have struggled to devise alternatives to the =
crush. In
> 1997, in a decision hailed by environmentalists and transportation =
groups,
> Mr. Pataki canceled a project to create a carpool lane straddling the
> bridge, saying that such a lane would only be costly and disruptive. =
Last
> year, Mr. Pataki established the task force to investigate other =
solutions.
> [PARA]But residents have since complained that they have had little
> opportunity to speak their minds. [PARA]Paul J. Feiner, the town =
supervisor
> of Greenburgh in Westchester, has written a letter to Mr. Pataki =
requesting
> that the local legislatures, and not the Thruway Authority, have the =
power
> to determine the bridge's future. Mr. Feiner said that he also wanted =
the
> authority to hire an independent consultant, chosen by local =
municipalities,
> to review the task force's recommendations. [PARA]One of the reasons =
that
> residents are wary of the authority, perhaps, is their recollection of =
what
> happened the last time a bridge was proposed. According to residents =
who
> spoke up at the meeting in Nyack, Gov. Thomas E. Dewey visited Nyack =
in 1950
> and declared that there were no plans for a bridge. Then, three weeks =
later,
> the residents recalled, state officials released engineering plans for =
what
> ultimately turned out to be the Tappan Zee Bridge.
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>  ------------------------------------------------------------
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