A Bridge to Nowhere

The big New York State transportation agencies are saying that we need a new larger bridge, a train and bus line, and two major bus depots in Tarrytown. Before we accept this behemoth project, let’s ask some serious questions and demand some honest, verifiable answers.

Question#1: Were the traffic studies and demographic projections financed and conducted by the very same NYS transportation authorities proposing this project? If so they can hardly be considered objective and must be conducted by an impartial independent organization, as there is a built-in conflict of interest.

Question#2: What is the agenda of these authorities? I remember as a child growing up in Sleepy Hollow, there was a dire demand for a “Westway” along the river. State traffic studies and projections insisted we could not live without it. Well, thank God that was rejected by a vigilant public, or our Hudson River waterfronts would have been irretrievably ruined by a superhighway along the river!!!

Question#3: Have alternative solutions been honestly considered? Repairing the existing bridge would be a lot less expensive than the $16 billion-plus estimate of a new bridge. Who will pay for that when we can’t pay for basic services? Where is the Tea Party on this issue? It is inevitable that bigger bridges and wider roads just increase traffic congestion and pollution, not diminsh it. We should discourage traffic by increasing tolls for single passenger autos and decreasing tolls for multi-passenger vehicles. Also, mass transit solutions should be implemented in Rockland County that do not involve directing more traffic through Westchester. The bigger the roads, the further people will travel to work, increasing pollution, gas consumption and deteriorating a sense of community.

This bigger bridge is truly a bridge to nowhere that will turn Tarrytown into a pit stop on the way to Albany and New England instead of the vibrant community that is one of the gems of the Hudson River. I urge the local government officials, environmental groups, activists and concerned neighbors of Tarrytown to start fighting this project.

Remember bigger is not better; just ask any dinosaur you might come across.
Gus Montero
Tarrytown

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About the Author: Gus Montero