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Electeds and Advocates: Tappan Zee Needs Transit From the Start
Support for transit on the new Tappan Zee bridge -- built up over a decade of consensus building and 280 public meetings -- runs deep and broad in the Hudson Valley. Though Governor Andrew Cuomo is already rushing forward with plans to build the bridge without any transit option, 11 local elected officials from both parties and a coalition of 16 environmental, labor, social justice, and transportation organizations have now come together to say that Westchester and Rockland County residents need transit on the Tappan Zee. In a statement released today, the coalition argues that Cuomo can't leave transit to be built later; the Hudson Valley needs transit now.
December 15, 2011
Transit Union Leader Urges Labor to Back Transit on the New Tappan Zee
Despite widespread opposition, Governor Andrew Cuomo is plowing forward with plans to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge without transit. Even so, there's still no plan for how to pay for the bridge. Cuomo has proposed that union pension funds put up some of the money, but there's been no explanation of how those pension funds would be paid back.
December 13, 2011
Hudson Valley Elected Officials Blast Decision to Take Transit Off Tappan Zee
After nine years of study and 280 meetings, New York State had reached the conclusion that the replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge needed to include transit: both a Metro-North extension and a new cross-county bus rapid transit system. Up until quite recently, state agencies forcefully argued that only transit could improve mobility between Westchester and Rockland Counties and provide a backbone for sustainable future growth. Residents of both counties agreed and bought into the decision. Transit on the Tappan Zee was popular. It was the plan.
October 28, 2011
Tappan Zee Docs Rescued From Memory Hole Say New Bridge Needs Transit
After a public outcry, New York State has restored the extensive library of documents generated by nine years of study and public outreach surrounding the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge.
October 27, 2011
Has DOT Decided Against Designing a Safer Delancey Street? [Updated]
Three concrete walls will soon surround the Manhattan entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge, as reported in Gothamist and the Villager. The construction, already underway and due to be completed at the beginning of next year, is part of a Department of Transportation effort to force cyclists coming down the ramp from the bridge to slow down and choose to ride on quieter side roads rather than dangerous Delancey Street, which will remain unchanged.
September 6, 2011
Shocking Video From the Brooklyn Bridge “War Path”
Earlier this week we showed Doug Gordon's incredibly dull video from our ride over the Manhattan Bridge with a member of the Daily News editorial board, a mind-numbingly mundane scene that the paper nevertheless characterized as a "battleground."
August 18, 2011
Wanted: Better Protection for Thousands of Cyclists Dumped Onto the Bowery
Today was the first day of a construction detour expected to send thousands of cyclists onto the Bowery from the Manhattan Bridge every day. A temporary bike route extending from the south side of Canal Street to Prince Street was constantly blocked by parked police vehicles, trucks, and cars during the morning rush, forcing cyclists to weave into the stream of Bowery traffic -- full of buses and large trucks.
July 18, 2011
The Queens Plaza Protected Bike Path Is Open for Business
Using a bike to get between Queens and Manhattan just got safer and easier.
July 12, 2011
Eyes on the Street: A Clearer Path for the Adams Street Bike Lane?
A reader sends this shot of the freshly paved surface of Adams Street, heading toward the Brooklyn Bridge just south of Johnson Street. The parking regulations have switched sides, so it looks like the old curbside bike lane on the right side of the street -- a notorious double-parking zone -- will be shifting over, either all the way to the left curb or between the parking lane and the moving lane. We have a request in with DOT to find out what the plan is.
May 25, 2011
Bending to East Side Traffic, DOT Limits Plan for Faster Buses, Safer Cycling
Not so long ago, it was common to hear NYCDOT staff say their job was "to keep the traffic moving." Engineers working from "the motorist's viewpoint" ran the show, much like they did in the 1950s. Those days are thankfully over. Today's DOT prioritizes safety and sustainability and has compiled a lengthy track record of innovation in a few short years. But as the transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 6 learned last night, the old emphasis on keeping the traffic moving still restrains how far the department will go to improve conditions for other modes.
May 3, 2011