In an apparent attempt to mislead the public, Westchester Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins has issued a press release filled with inaccuracies that blatantly misrepresents the facts behind the Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project as well as the position of County Executive Robert P. Astorino.
Jenkins—who has remained conspicuously absent since the state proposed to rebuild the Tappan Zee Bridge—released a letter that completely mischaracterized Astorino’s well-documented and very public position supporting the project and calling for some form of bus rapid transit to be included.
Before a crowd of several hundred people at last night’s public hearing held in Tarrytown, Astorino once again reiterated the position he has consistently advocated since calling on the Governor last year to move forward on a new Tappan Zee Bridge. “As I have said all along, the new bridge needs to be built as soon as possible and put as many of the men and women of our trade unions back to work. I applaud Governor Cuomo for initiating the project, but we need to do it right,” he said.
“Attempting to build a bridge that doesn’t address the needs of the region from the start is a prescription for cost overruns and delays. Equipping the bridge for bus rapid transit does not have to slow down the start of construction. Any studies that are necessary can begin immediately with the goal that BRT will be ready when the bridge construction is complete.”
His full remarks are below:
I am pleased to be here tonight to have the opportunity to address you at the public hearing for the rebuilding of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
I want to thank the New York State Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority for arranging this hearing.
I’d like to say right up front—what I have been saying all along—the new bridge needs to be built as soon as possible and put as many of the men and women of our trade unions back to work.
I applaud Governor Cuomo for initiating the project, but we need to do it right.
Attempting to build a bridge that doesn’t address the needs of the region from the start is a prescription for cost overruns and delays.
We are not just building roadway over a body of water.
We are building a lifeline to the economic future of our county, state, region and country.
So with our future at stake, the design of a new bridge in 2012 can’t be stuck in the 1950’s.
Does that mean the bridge needs to be something out of the Jetson’s with every possible bell and whistle?
Absolutely not.
But it does need some kind of mass transit component.
Otherwise we are not building a bridge…we are building a scenic parking lot over the Hudson.
Bus rapid transit provides the best answer because it provides immediate and future value.
What we are talking about is running buses over the bridge and between Westchester and Rockland on special high occupancy or HOV lanes.
This can be done at a modest cost and make an important stride forward on the problem of traffic congestion
And BRT must be part of the original plan; otherwise it will never get done.
The lower level of the George Washington Bridge was designed for mass transit, and we all know how that worked out
And let me make this clear. Equipping the bridge for BRT does not have to slow down the start of construction. Any studies that are necessary can begin immediately with the goal that BRT will be ready when the bridge construction is complete.
If people are going to pay $12 to get over the bridge – and we still haven’t seen any financing plans – we need to give them an upgrade from the status quo.
If we plan the right bridge from the start, we can then honestly assure the public that the completion date will be the soonest possible and the price tag will be the cheapest possible.
And the concerns of those who live and work close to the bridge can be addressed.
Measure twice, cut once as the saying goes.
Delays and cost overruns are caused when not enough thought and care go into the initial design of a project. The object isn’t simply to start the bridge quickly; it is to finish it quickly.
Both myself and my Planning and Transportation commissioners are paying close attention to the project.
I encourage people to reach out to the state and let your comments and questions be heard.
We have one chance to get this right and it will take the force of the public to influence how the bridge gets built.
Thank you.