Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
New York State DOT

Cuomo Willing to Wait for Tappan Zee Loan, But Not for Tappan Zee Transit

Inspecting the Tappan Zee Bridge in 2010, Andrew Cuomo saw a need for expanded automobile capacity, but no such need for transit. Photo:

Using a federal loan to finance $2 billion of the cost of the Tappan Zee Bridge could delay construction work significantly, warns trade journal Project Finance today. Trading time for a low interest rate might save money, but it puts the lie to the Cuomo administration's claim that adding transit would unacceptably slow the Tappan Zee project.

"Waiting for TIFIA debt to close could delay the Tappan Zee project," wrote Project Finance, referring to the federal loan program the state applied to. The last TIFIA deal, for a rail line in Denver, just closed in December 2011, though the application was submitted in fiscal year 2010. None of the fiscal year 2011 TIFIA applicants have received a loan yet.

TIFIA loans are about as cheap as borrowing gets and worth the wait. When it comes to financing, the Cuomo administration recognizes that it's better to do the project well than to do the project instantly. But Cuomo is using much different logic when it comes to transit.

This January, state DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald told a Hudson Valley audience that adding transit to the Tappan Zee would push back construction by at least two years. Without transit, she said, construction would be able to begin in 2012.

With a bridge meant to last a century, it's worth waiting a little bit longer to build a span that includes transit. Without transit, a new Tappan Zee Bridge will just promote sprawl while doing nothing to curb congestion, reduce environmental damage, or help residents get around affordably.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Universal Daylighting Has Majority Support on the City Council — Will Speaker Adams Give It a Vote?

Adrienne Adams is sitting on a landmark daylighting bill that could make every intersection safer for pedestrians.

July 9, 2025

‘Anti-Car Crusade’: Dinowitzes Slam Bronx Harlem River Greenway Bike Lane Touted by Mayor

The father-son duo are throwing a tantrum over the first leg of Mayor Adams's Harlem River Greenway.

July 8, 2025

Eyes on the Street: DOT’s ‘Broadway Vision’ Starts to Clear Up

The Department of Transportation has transformed Broadway into a new corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.

July 8, 2025

Amsterdam Leads the Way on E-Bike Regulation — Should New York Follow Suit?

The city's biking- and walking-friendly streets expose the hypocrisy harsh e-bike enforcement without better street design.

July 8, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Rethinking Avenue B Edition

DOT is taking feedback on the future of Avenue B. Plus more news.

July 8, 2025
See all posts