Trafford Publishing: The Tappan Zee Bridge<br> Where Do We Go From Here?

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The Tappan Zee Bridge
Where Do We Go From Here?

by Robert T. Hintersteiner

247 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0212; ISBN 1-55369-399-X; US$80.00, C$122.00, EUR79.30, £55.00

A systematic and coordinated approach is needed to resolve the mass transportation challenges of the 21st Century. The author presents his Regional Area Mass Transportation Master Plan that specifically focuses on the heavily populated New York City Metropolitan Regional Area, but the proposals presented and discussed are also applicable to other metropolitan regional areas throughout the world.

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about the book      about the author      sample excerpt      catalogue info

About the Book

The objective of this book is to suggest solutions to our 21st Century reional transportation problems. The author's proposals address a variety of regional transportation concepts, in case study format, regarding the current dilemma of how to implement improvements to the Tappan Zee Bridge. The Tappan Zee Bridge is a major transportation link to the New York City Metropolitan Regional Area as well as to the New England Regional Area. This delemma epitomizes transportation issues faced by other large regional metropolitan areas throughout the world.
To successfully resolve the questions posed requires a systematic and coordinated approach for managing 21st Century traffic. The need for a comprehensive transportation plan was brought into focus by the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, which demonstrated the need for alternative transportation systems within the New York City Metropolitan Regional Area.

About the Author

Robert T. Hintersteiner, P.E., a Transportation/Forensic Engineer, is an independent consultant whose specialty is all forms of ground transportation. His work includes traffic signal design and operations; roadway design; parking facility layout; railroad grade crossing design; transportation terminal design; transit operations; and evaluation of accidents involving these types of facilities, including preparing reports and testifying in court.

Sample Excerpt

From the Foreword:

The objective of this book is to suggest solutions to our regional transportation problems in the 21^st Century by analyzing a case study based upon a proposed regional transportation concept. Our transportation problems were brought into focus on September 11, 2001 with the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City. The transportation problems faced by the New York City Metropolitan Regional Area rippled throughout the entire country, and it epitomized what could happen to other large regional metropolitan areas. To assess our future transportation needs we have to determine our current problems and then project how they will affect us in the future.
The author will present a case study regarding the Tappan Zee Bridge to discuss the possible solutions to the controversial issue of rebuilding or replacing this Bridge. The Bridge transverses Rockland and Westchester Counties in the State of New York State, about 30 miles north of New York City. Current proposals have engendered considerable controversy between citizens in the local towns adjacent to the Bridge, environmentalists, state officials, and engineers, planners, and other members of the professional community.
Regional Transportation has become a major issue during the past decade as our highway systems have exceeded their capacity for further expansion. The World Trade Center event severely restricted traffic in the entire New York City Area for several days, and resulted in truck searches on the bridges and tunnels leading into lower Manhattan. These restrictions have continued into the year 2002, and the situation has exacerbated problems in getting goods to market and employees to work. A disaster, whether natural or man made, could theoretically occur in any large city within the United States or in the world. Therefore, the transportation systems that service large cities and their surrounding regional areas should encompass features for traffic management in the event of a major crisis.
This book presents a Regional Area Mass Transportation Master Plan that specifically focuses on the heavily populated New York City Metropolitan Regional Area. However, the proposals presented and discussed herein are also applicable to other metropolitan regional areas throughout the world during their normal daily operations as well as during a major crisis. It is demonstrated in this book that in addition to an efficient highway system, there is a need for an alternate belt rail transportation system to provide access throughout an entire regional area. We can no longer depend upon existing radial rail transportation systems that have a city center as their focal point.
The New York City Subway was back in operation within three hours after the World Trade Center disaster, providing service the rest of New York City. Since the entire island of Manhattan was closed down to all but emergency vehicles, commuter rail and subway systems were essential to help evacuate the City. Bridge closures caused extreme delays in commuter buses. Passenger vehicles were banned for days, and when they were allowed to enter they had to have two or more passengers. Truck searches caused delivery extreme delays for several days. We need to be better prepared in the future to transport commuters and emergency services personnel to their jobs, and to transport durable goods to market. Thus, the role of rail transportation needs to be reevaluated in light of modern realities.
The author demonstrates that highways and rail transportation operations must be fully coordinated in order to create a balanced regional transportation system that would surround and connect the outlying suburbs and link to the center of the Metropolitan Area, via a more efficient highway belt system, and passenger and freight rail belt system.
The Tappan Zee Bridge is part of a road network known as the I-287 Corridor, and the author believes that the transportation needs of the entire Metropolitan Region should be incorporated into the plans being developed for the Bridge. The author also presents his own conceptual framework for implementing various modes of mass transportation as a means to reduce traffic congestion, to improve the quality of life and the environment, and to provide alternative routes for both people and freight in the event of a regional or national disaster.
The historic solution for such issues has been to expand existing highways to handle the ever increasing traffic. However, that is only a short term solution, and in the years ahead, the Region will be facing the same problems. Truck traffic is one of the major issues discussed in this book, and the author evaluates the existing truck freight service within the Northeastern Regional Area. This book advocates expanding existing freight railroad operations, and extending them along the I-287 Corridor to reduce congestion on our roadways.
The author evaluates the proposal for commuter rail service between Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY and New York City. The author also presents his own proposal for a Westchester Rockland Metro subway system, which would include a subway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting Rockland County to Westchester County, and provide rail service to the Westchester County Airport. The Mass Transportation Master Plan discussed herein also includes providing peripheral rail service along existing railroad Rights Of Way, thereby further encouraging mass transportation and the reduction of both freight and commuter traffic along the highways.
The author proposes creating a regional Mass Transportation Belt Rail System with both commuter and freight railroad service around New York City, servicing its suburban communities. This would provide a regional network that would connect key residential and business centers with an efficient and environmentally sound transportation system. Subway, trolley, and bus service would be integrated into the System. Service would extend from Rockland and Westchester Counties, under Long Island Sound, to Nassau County, with connections to the Long Island Rail Road, to reduce the commuting time and traffic on the bridges crossing Long Island Sound. There would also be a continuation of the Belt Rail System from Long Island to the New Jersey Transit System, via the New York City Boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, connecting to the existing Staten Island Railway via a proposed tunnel across The Narrows. The Staten Island Railway would also connect into the existing subway lines servicing the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Finally, the need for a Regional Transportation Agency is addressed. Such an Agency is required to coordinate all transportation funding and operations within the New York City Metropolitan Regional Area in the 21^st Century. One of its main functions would be to dispense capital and operational funds, from federal and state sources, as well as the proceeds from a Regional Transportation Tax to supplement funds raised by fares. The freight railroads would have their own Railroad Trust Fund.
To successfully answer the question "The Tappan Zee Bridge - Where Do We Go From Here?" requires a systematic and coordinated approach for managing 21^st Century traffic in the New York City Metropolitan Regional Area. The Mass Transportation Master Plan presented in this book addresses the many issues and conflicts involved, and also serves as a model for solving the transportation problems faced by other metropolitan regional areas.

Chapter Descriptions:

     Chapter I describes the transportation problems that we face today largely due to suburban sprawl, environmental concerns, and "not in my back yard" (NIMBY) attitudes. The continuous growth of our population and vehicular traffic will present many challenges over the next several years. The author discusses the transportation problems of the busy I-287 Corridor, especially that of its Tappan Zee Bridge, which is a major link to and through the New York City Metropolitan Regional Area.
     Chapter II describes the Current Conditions along the I-287 Corridor with the base traffic volumes for the year 2000. An evaluation of the current roadway's six lane configuration indicates that the future will bring longer delays and congestion, thus increasing commuting travel time, noise, and air pollution.
     Chapter III evaluates the Design Year 2020 to determine the projected traffic volumes, and what improvements can be made to the I-287 Corridor, including the effects such proposed solutions will have on the local communities, as well as on the local and regional economy. The introduction of the I-287 Commuter Rail Corridor connecting Stewart International Airport to New York City is evaluated with options for the reconstruction of the I-287 Corridor to accommodate both vehicle and rail operations. In addition, a vehicle-transit tunnel under the Hudson River is also evaluated.
     Chapter IV evaluates the Design Year 2040 projected traffic volumes and the number of lanes required to maintain traffic at an acceptable level of congestion. Analyses of the proposed improvements presented in Chapter III determined that the I-287 Corridor will require twelve lanes to provide an acceptable level of service with a minimal impact upon adjacent property owners.
     Chapter V evaluates the Freight Traffic along the I-287 Corridor, and its regional effects upon the continuing population growth. Freight traffic contributes to the clogging of our highways, and with an increasing population the demand for goods will also increase at a faster rate. Currently, there are approximately 87,000 trucks crossing the Hudson River daily, and it is estimated that there will be 150,000 trucks by 2040. One way to reducing freight traffic on our highways would be to bring back the Freight Railroads which could remove about 40,000 long haul tractor trailers from our regional highways each day. A Freight Railroad system throughout the region would reduce traffic congestion and speed up the delivery of goods. Reducing the number of long haul tractor trailers from our roadways would reduce delays, noise, and air pollution. In addition, it would augment a National Defense Transportation System.
     Chapter VI evaluates the existing Commuter Service serving Westchester and Rockland Counties. An integrated rail service is needed to lure motorists from their vehicles. A number of proposals are discussed for reducing vehicle traffic in the I-287 Corridor. These proposals include: Steward International Airport Rail Service to and from New York City; increasing the Port Jervis Rail Commuter Service and combining it with the Stewart International Airport service; and providing a subway system between Suffern New York and Port Chester New York, with a link to the Westchester County Airport.
     Chapter VII expands the proposed Commuter Service to other counties. The entire concept would be to provide a belt commuter and freight railroad system surrounding New York City with direct connections to other railroads. The proposed Belt Rail System would include Bergen, Rockland, Westchester, Fairfield, Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, Richmond, Union, Essex, and Hudson Counties. The proposed Westchester Rockland Metro would have a tunnel under the Long Island Sound with a transfer to the Long Island Rail Road to Brooklyn. A Staten Island Railway Narrows Tunnel would connect the Staten Island Railway to the New York City Transit System. A railroad link for commuter and freight traffic from Essex County to Brooklyn via Staten Island could be provided. The major rail commuter service improvements would be in Bergen and Rockland Counties, with the conversion of the existing commuter rail service to a trolley service on all existing railroad rights of way. A major benefit would be having direct service into the Meadowlands Sports Complex as part of the Regional Transportation System.
     Chapter VIII evaluates the cost of the previous proposals and suggests a Regional Transportation Agency to coordinate operations. This proposed Agency would consist of all the Counties Supervisors, a commuter representative from each County regarding policy, and representatives from each local transportation agency to coordinate operations. A proposed Regional Transportation Tax program would be used to allocate funding to each of the local transportation agencies to assure funding each year for services and maintenance.
     Chapter IX sums up the author's entire proposed Regional Mass Transportation Master Plan for the 21^st Century.

Catalogue Information