Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Tappan Zee Bridge

Packed House Tells Cuomo to Build a Tappan Zee With Transit

Photo: Dani Simons

Support for transit ran high at the first of two public hearings on the Tappan Zee draft environmental impact statement at the Palisades Mall in Rockland last night.

A crowd pegged at 500 people packed into the hearing room and spilled out over into the hallway where union members milled next to mayors of Rockland towns, waiting their turn to testify.

Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef led off by thanking NYS DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald for meeting with him about Rockland’s transit needs, but said that the county needs a real commitment from the state. His testimony offered many concrete options for both short- and long-term transit improvements, ranging from dedicated bus lanes and a direct connection for buses to the Tarrytown train station to full bus rapid transit and commuter rail service.

South Nyack Mayor Tish Dubow, Nyack Mayor Jen Laird-White and White Plains Council Member Milagros Lecuona all called for transit to be part of the project from the start. Lecouona, an architect and urban planner, took to the podium in a bright red pantsuit and declared that a bridge without transit was “planning for yesterday.”

State Senator David Carlucci thanked Cuomo for fast tracking the project but called on the governor to create a dedicated express bus lane immediately and plan for “full transit capability” as part of the project.

Ross Pepe, president of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley, and his cronies continued to keep up the “build it now” drumbeat, claiming that building the bridge right away is the only way to bring jobs to the Hudson Valley. One hopes Pepe's friends in the unions see through his rhetoric and realize that a bridge with transit will actually bring more jobs, both today and in the future. So far the state has failed to explain why transit is not already under study or being phased in simultaneously with the bridge project. Starting this process concurrently would allow transit to sync up with the bridge construction, providing more jobs and preventing additional construction disruptions in the future.

Several electeds called on the state to extend the public comment period to give their residents more time to parse through the 23 chapters and over thousand pages in the DEIS and provide responses. The second and final public hearing on the DEIS is Thursday night (March 1) at the White Plains Marriott from 4:00-9:00 p.m. There will be an open house starting at 4:00, and a stenographer available to take testimony in a private room, with the state’s presentation beginning at 5:00, followed by public comment and a second round of presentation at 7:00, again followed by more comments. Written comments may also be submitted to: tzbsite@dot.state.ny.us before March 15, 2012.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Memo to NYPD Commish Tisch: Drivers Keep Driving, And Killing, on Suspended Licenses

License suspension doesn't keep drivers off the road, why would it work with bikes?

May 29, 2025

‘RIDERS’ on the Storm: Assembly Kills E-Bike Registration Bid

E-bike advocates dodged a bullet in the state legislature — but a fusillade is expected anyway. Plus Amy's Albany Addenda!

May 29, 2025

Council Outrage Over NYPD Bike Criminalization Grows, But Speaker Adams Is In No Rush

Council members want Speaker Adrienne Adams to act, but she doesn't want to.

May 29, 2025

Op-Ed: NYS Needs the Economic and Environmental Stimulus of E-Bike Subsidies

A "Ride Clean Rebate" is what real climate and economic leadership looks like, argues this industry leader.

May 29, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: The Loudest Voices Edition

Learn how to counteract the nattering nabobs of negativism. Plus other news.

May 29, 2025

Speed Governor: Leadfoot Cuomo Appears to Run Red Light After Midtown Confab

Cuomo, who already has two speeding tickets on his record, was caught on camera driving through a red light on Wednesday.

May 28, 2025
See all posts