As state authorities prepare to replace the aging bridge, local officials and interest groups propose an "exciting" alternative to demolition.
The New York State Thruway Authority may begin work on a new bridge to replace the 56-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge as early as next year, and is seriously considering a proposal to maintain it as a separate route for pedestrians and cyclists.
Already six years past its projected lifespan, the Tappan Zee Bridge would cost $150 million to demolish, compared to the $50 million annual maintenance bill it runs under current conditions.
So Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner suggested that the state hang onto it. "The idea immediately gained support from biking and pedestrian groups," writes Peter Applebome, and those groups in turn came together to form the Tappan Bridge Park Alliance.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the idea "exciting" and, along with the executive director of the State Thruway Authority, expressed support for further study of the project.
FULL STORY: State to Look at Turning Tappan Zee into Walkway
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan
The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.
LA Metro’s ultimatum: no extra buses for LA28 if federal funding isn’t imminently secured
If Metro does not provide additional buses, LA28 organizers will have to find a new way to manage Olympic traffic. LA28’s budget does not include a line item for transit.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association