PRESS ADVISORY: For Immediate Release 2-27-08

CONTACT: Renee Cho, Riverkeeper 914-478-4501 x 239

RIVERKEEPER SEEKS FULL ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS FROM
TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE/I-287 CORRIDOR PROJECT

(Tarrytown, NY) Riverkeeper plans to submit comments, as provided for by state and federal law, in the next thirty days on the new “Scoping” materials presented by the NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), New York State Thruway Authority and Metro-North Railroad at a Public Scoping Update Meeting held last night at Purchase College. At the meeting, NYSDOT Project Manager Michael Anderson set forth the new “tiered” approach to the planning, analysis and implementation of the project, which separates transit planning from the highway and bridge components. Riverkeeper is concerned that this new approach might not provide adequate consideration and analysis of the project’s impacts on the fragile ecosystem of the Hudson River, as well as on the communities in Rockland, Orange and Westchester Counties.

“This is an opportunity for this important process to become the basis for the kind of regional planning that is critical for the future of the Hudson Valley as well as the greater New York area,” said Robert Goldstein, Riverkeeper’s general counsel, “If the values of smart growth are incorporated into that plan, the region will only benefit.”

Riverkeeper continues to support rehabilitation of the current Tappan Zee Bridge over the building of a new bridge; the careful consideration of cost-effective transit options; and a thorough examination of regional planning and Smart Growth issues. We urge all involved agencies and authorities to require complete analysis of the project’s impacts despite this recent move to separate the components into tiers.