The Tappan Zee Bridge Task Force presented to the South Nyack Board of Trustees on Dec. 1 the four plans developed by the state Thruway Authority to connect a new shared-use bicycle and pedestrian path in the village with the new bridge and highway.
South Nyack mayor Bonnie Christian moderated the special meeting, which was attended by about 100 people, as well as the presentation from the four-person task force and audience questions at the end.
Click here to check out the presentation
The central issue under consideration is how to construct a shared-use path terminus area in South Nyack ”“ complete with a new 54-space parking lot and restroom facilities ”“ while modifying the Exit 10 interchange to effectively move traffic off the bridge and into the village or adjacent roadways.
The concepts developed by the Thruway Authority and presented at the meeting by the task force ranged in cost from about $11 million to $24 million.
The state will pay for the approved plan.
The most expensive components to the plans include replacing or changing existing infrastructure, such as overpass bridges, widening or adding roads and incorporating new roundabouts or traffic signals.
The shared-used path is expected to open in 2018 when the bridge is also expected to fully open.
Greg Toolan, a task force member and land surveyor, presented the advantages and disadvantages the task force determined for each of the four proposals.
At the end of the presentation, Toolan said the task force was recommending the plan known as Concept F, which they said “reasonably addresses the concerns” of residents, but requires “a moderate amount” of construction.
Some of the pluses identified with Concept F was that thruway traffic would stay on highways and off local streets, there are few infrastructure changes, the pathway terminus area could allow for additional parking and it was the second-cheapest option at $15 million.
The negatives centered on an added loop to the interchange that could be inconvenient for commuters. Drivers going east, many of whom would be coming from South Franklin Street, would have to cross an overpass going south and then do a 360-degree loop before entering Interstate 287 and getting on the bridge.
One question posed by an attendant at the meeting was: “The Poughkeepsie walkway gets approximately 600 cars on a nice summer day. How can the task force entertain plans with approximately 54 spaces?”
In response, the task force said the Thruway Authority completed an extensive study of Tarrytown and South Nyack determining that just over 100 spaces would be necessary for the two towns.
The woman who asked the question followed up and said, “We’re going to certainly get more than Poughkeepsie, but let’s say we only get 600 cars a day on a nice day. They’re going to park in the streets of South Nyack, exactly the problem we want to avoid.”
Toolan responded:Â “That was one of the main concerns we had when we first met with them and they’re convinced that that’s all we need. I personally don’t agree with that, I think we probably will need more, which is why the concepts that will allow for expansion of the parking facilities” are the most desirable.
The task force was unsure how many spots would be available if the parking lot was expanded.
South Nyack was awarded a $250,000 grant in May by the New NY Bridge Community Benefits Program to hire a firm and conduct a feasibility study on the redesign of the interchange and the highway.
South Nyack fought for years to get the state to collaborate on a way to accommodate the needs of the new Tappan Zee Bridge connection in Rockland County and those of the village residents who would be most impacted by the changes.
The initial proposals to end the new path at the corner of Cornelison Avenue and South Broadway was met with criticism from residents. To address these issues, the village formed the Tappan Zee Bridge Task Force in 2013 to be a liaison between South Nyack and the Thruway Authority.
A meeting between the village Board of Trustees and the Thruway Authority is expected to take place in late February or early March.