Tappan Zee Bike-Ped Access Hearings on Now

March 14, 2016

The people in charge of developing the bike and pedestrian path for the new under construction Tappan Zee Bridge will be holding hearings this week to discuss the details of their plan, and gather input from the public.

An image from the bike-ped access plan for the West side of the Hudson, in South Nyack.

Being held at 6:30 PM on Tuesday for Westchester residents and 6:30 PM Wednesday for those in Rockland County, the public hearings will give cyclists and residents on both sides of the Hudson River a chance to weigh in on the plans that will allow cross-river transportation via bicycle once the new bridge is built.

The Tappan Zee Bridge links Interstate 287 across the Hudson River, and serves as a significant multi-state access crossing for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and other states further north and south, such as New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Routes I-684, I-95 on the eastern side, and I-87, the Palisades Parkway, and the New Jersey Parkway on the western side are major connecting routes off I-287.  The project is being led by the Federal Highway Administration, with joint leads by the NYS Department of Transportation and the NYS Thruway Authority.

But even more importantly, the bridge is a great link for commuters traveling from Rockland County to New York City, and if they could dump their cars altogether and take bicycles to the train station in Tarrytown where they can catch MetroNorth to the city (where there are no more parking spaces) they could save money and time, and shed some unwanted pounds.

A rendering of what the new Tappan Zee bridge is expected to look like when it is completed in 2018.

The new Tappan Zee bridge will replace the current over-capacity crossing, and the project has provided an opportunity for planners to include the important bicycle and pedestrian users who up to now have had no way of crossing the bridge. Bicycles are currently not even allowed on cross-bridge mass transit buses, a source of frustration for cyclists who wish to commute to the train station in Tarrytown, or even just complete a recreational ride across the river.

Yet the opportunity to accommodate cyclists in a facile and logical way that would encourage non-motorized traffic has been met with sour opposition from local  South Nyack residents who have been up in arms since the original design proposals were floated. Residents  have asked for many expensive, and in some cases, non-viable changes to the access points since then. Much of that reaction could be based on fear and lack of a reliable impact statement, but it also could be based on the fact that few if any South Nyack residents actually ride bicycles, and possibly even fewer plan to use the bridge as pedestrians. Many see cyclists as foreign invaders.

An image of the plan for the East side of the river for the bike/ bed access to the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

Not In My Back Yard objections have resulted in an endless stream of changes and proposals to the off and on ramps and pathways to the new bridge.

Among the concerns cited by South Nyack residents is that cyclists will park their cars in the neighborhood, taking spaces and bringing undesirable traffic into the area. Cyclists who could more accurately reflect what their usage needs are haven’t had much input to the process. At one meeting we attended, only two cyclists–ourselves and another reporter, were present.

Currently there are no parking problems in South Nyack, and there is relatively no traffic to speak of. Traffic studies performed by the Environmental Assessment project the need for 54 parking spaces on the Rockland side. But when comparing projected bike use on the Tappan Zee to bike use on the George Washington Bridge which accommodates approximately 1,500 cyclists a day on weekends, it’s important to note that there are NO parking set-asides in Fort Lee, NJ, for cyclists, and no parking spaces at all on the New York City side.

A rendering of one of the future outcroppings for pedestrians on the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

Among the A through H proposals being floated in response to the endless objections by South Nyackers are some that make cycling across the bridge not only difficult to access, but also add in a flight of stairs over which cyclists would have to carry their bicycles. Some of the parking locations suggested are remote and potentially dangerously unattended, instead of being located in a well-trafficked, public use areas. Many of their proposals spell out “non-use,” which could well be what the residents have intended.

The new bridge is certain to bring a greater amount of motorist traffic, resulting in more noise for South Nyack residents. Increased bicycle use could certainly mitigate the growth in traffic, but few residents are drawing that important conclusion.

Cyclist and advocate Daniel Convissor, who recently alerted e-bike email exchange recipients about the meetings said he will be asking for 24-hour access for the bike and led pathway.

Weighing in on the plans floated so far, said Convissor, “Alternative E should be rejected because the narrow switchback ramps and stairs significantly reduce the attractiveness of cycling or walking the bridge.” He also pointed out that an access point needs to be added at River Road (State Bicycle Route 9) in GrandView on Hudson. “Entering the bridge here is 1.3 miles shorter and has 80 feet less climbing for people walking and cycling from points south [along River Road]. The emergency access point can be here as well, instead of Smith Ave.,” he noted

“Similarly, if alternatives E or F are chosen, there is value to having the initially proposed bicycle/pedestrian ramp at South Broadway
and Cornelison Ave as an additional access point for people traveling to/from the south on Route 9 and those living in neighborhoods south and southwest of the bridge,” wrote Convissor.

Speaking about the eastern side of the bridge, Convissor said there was a need for a signalized crosswalk on the eastern (Tarrytown) side with a median refuge area at the intersection of Route 9 and the Shared Use Path. “The Environmental Assessment explicitly says no changes will be made here: That opinion is dangerously mistaken,” wrote Convissor.

“Without a signal, cyclists coming off the bridge who are heading north on Route 9 will have a very hard time finding a safe gap in traffic between through traffic on Route 9, northbound turning movements from Route 119, plus vehicles exiting the gas station, bank, shopping center and apartment building.”

All cyclists and pedestrians interested in protecting their right to free and easy on-and-off access to the new Tappan Zee Bridge, should be at these hearings.

HEARING DETAILS
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Tuesday, March 15
Sleepy Hollow High School, 210 North Broadway

Wednesday, March 16
Nyack Middle School, 98 South Highland Ave

Open house at both locations from 5 pm to 8 pm.
Public hearing starts at 6:30 pm.

You can also comment by emailing Info@NewNYBridge.com

If you want to read about the proposals and/or see the diagrams, the
essential information is on PDF pages 35 – 41 in this document:

http://www.newnybridge.com/documents/sup/EA_Shared-Use%20Path%20Facilities_2016-02-26.pdf