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Re: (erielack) Tappan Zee Rail Project

Try driving through when there has been an accident. You are lucky on =
the West Side you are not backed up to  Spring Valley.

Alex

- ----- Original Message -----=20
From: Ken <"erie910_@_freewwweb.com">
To: Christopher Thurner <"cthurner_@_adelphia.net">; TIMOTHY O. STUY =
<"njmidland_@_compuserve.com">; erielack <erielack@internexus.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 18:17
Subject: Re: (erielack) Tappan Zee Rail Project


> Is the Tappan Zee bridge in such bad shape?  I haven't driven across =
it
> since 1973, and it was a nice bridge then.
>=20
>=20
> Ken B.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Christopher Thurner <"cthurner_@_adelphia.net">
> To: TIMOTHY O. STUY <"njmidland_@_compuserve.com">; erielack
> <"erielack_@_internexus.net">
> Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 6:46 PM
> Subject: RE: (erielack) Tappan Zee Rail Project
>=20
>=20
> > Timothy O. Stuy wrote:
> >
> > -----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
> >
> > 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".
> >
> > I am assuming they would rebuild the Piermont Branch to reach the =
Tappan
> > Zee?  What rail line is near Stewart Airport?
> >
> > Tim
> >
> >  ------------------------------------------------------------
> > 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.
> >
> > 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?
> >
> > 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.
> >
> > How are these lines going to link?  One may presume that the Suffern =
lines
> > would link to the former Erie.
> >
> > 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.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Chris Thurner
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [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.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  ------------------------------------------------------------
> > Visit the erielack photopage at http://el-list.railfan.net
> >
>=20
>=20
>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit the erielack photopage at http://el-list.railfan.net
>=20


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Visit the erielack photopage at http://el-list.railfan.net

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