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South Nyack Tappan Zee Bridge Committee Selects Shared Use Path Plan

by Max Cea and Dave Zornow

After successfully convincing the New York State Thruway to relocate the future terminus of the Share Use Path (SUP) for bikes and pedestrians for a second time last spring, the Village of South Nyack Tappan Zee Bridge Task Force (TZBTF) held a public meeting on Tuesday night to discuss four different configurations about where to locate the entrance to the new bike and walk way across the Hudson.

The five-member committee was focused on allaying fears of residents and elected officials regarding future traffic and parking issues as well as the the Thruway Authority’s fiscal concerns. The TZBTF acknowledged the merits of three of the four plans submitted proposed by the NYS Thruway, but ultimately recommended “Concept F,” which places a 54 spot parking lot on land now owned by the state behind the South Nyack Village Hall.

South Nyack TZB Task Force Accomplishments

TZB Parking Concept F 201512

Parking concept “F,” as designed by the NYS Thurway, was the plan the South Nyack TZB Task Force preferred — with reservations.

Terminus Location: The Shared Use Path Terminus was re-designed to end within Interchange 10 on Thruway property.

Tunnel Install Under South Broadway Overpass: This replaces the “High Line” construction behind the houses on Smith and Cornelison.

Parking – and restrooms will now be constructed within Interchange 10 on Thruway property.

Financial Commitment Received from New York State:

  • To pay for and construct the approved plan within Interchange 10 and
    be completed by the opening of the Shared Use Path.
  • To obtain a $250,000 grant for South Nyack to do for a Feasibility Study.

Source: Village of South Nyack Tappan Zee Bridge Task Force

Task force members like this design because it will put SUP parking on Exit 10  away from residential neighborhoods with room to expand in the future. This approach will also divert the majority of morning commuter traffic from South Broadway, Clinton Ave., Cornelison and River Rd by closing the current South Broadway entrance to the Thruway. Additionally, village officials believe that by moving traffic from the 287 on-ramp to 9W, it will decrease wear and tear on village roads. However, task force members also noted two negatives to their recommendation: Concept F will increases traffic on 9W between Shadyside and Franklin and it doesn’t provide a direct connection from the proposed Exit 10 parking lot to the existing Esposito Rail Trail.

The proposed plan would cost the state approximately $15 million, about $4 million more than the cheapest plan, and $9 million less than the most ambitious plan.

As of last Spring, the Village of South Nyack has already received $4.69 million in benefits from the Tappan Zee Bridge project, according to information previously provided by Brian Conybeare, who stepped down from his position as Tappan Zee Bridge Special Advisor to NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo last month. This funding included:

$2.63 million for South Nyack from the New NY Bridge Community Benefits Program

  • $250,000 Interchange 10 Community Benefits Grant
  • $1,150,000 for new windows and doors for 120 units at the Salisbury Point Co-op
  • $1,020,000 for new windows and doors for 72 units at Eagle Rock/Bradford Mews
  • $210,000 for new windows and doors for 7 single family homes

and $2.05 million in funding for other TZB-related initiatives:

  • $900,000 to move the SUP Terminus from Smith Ave. to Cornelison
  • $80,000 Study of Community Generated SUP Parking Options
  • $85,000 Shared Use Path Parking Demand Study
  • $400,000 for three additional environmental monitors installed at the request of South Nyack
  • $140,000 for extra temporary noise barriers/privacy screening
  • $450,000 for sound-absorptive material for permanent highway noise barriers

Last Spring the village declared victory over the Thruway authority when the state said they would accelerate plans to relocate the SUP entrance to Exit 10 before the opening of the new TZB. The land in the middle of Exit 10 is currently being used by Tappan Zee Constructors as a staging area for building the replacement bridge. State officials were initially reluctant to interfere with construction plans in the staging area for traffic issues that may take several years to impact the village. The SUP terminus, originally sited at Smith Street in South Nyack, was relocated to Cornelison based on a 2014 recommendation from South Nyack, a move that state officials said cost $900,000 to make. That investment was presumably lost after the Thruway conceded to South Nyack village protests to move the SUP starting point to Exit 10.

See also:

 

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