Heated Discussion of Cross-Westchester Transportation Options
Federated Conservationists of Westchester and the Westchester County Legislature's Environment Committee hosted a forum at Greenburgh Town Hall Tuesday evening on alternatives to the widening of I-287 in Westchester. Critics of widening the road, either with new general use lanes or a reversible carpool lane in the roadway's median -- the State's preferred solution -- said other planning and transit measures would provide longer-term solutions to cross-county congestion. A guided busway, a monorail system and parking, transit and roadway pricing measures were all presented and discussed in the forum, which received heavy local media coverage. Critics of the State plan included several Westchester and Hudson Valley civic groups, the Mayor of Tarrytown and a number of county legislators. They received a lengthy and angry rebuttal -- described by several observers new to the issues as embarrassing to the State -- from Richard Peters, NY State DOT regional planning manager. Public hearings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be held in December.
