The Hudson River and greenway protection groups that attended this meeting told Thruway representatives that only a single discussion involving all stakeholders would be acceptable. They also said that the Thruway should increase bus and vanpool transit services across the Bridge and implement congestion pricing before a decision is made about whether new capacity is needed.

Prior to the meetings, the Thruway Authority failed to explain to groups what they were being invited to attend. After inquiries, the Campaign discovered that these are pre-scoping informational meetings. The pubic "scoping" hearing - where input is given on the alternatives to be studied - is scheduled for Fall 2001. The study will proceed as a combined Major Investment Study and Environmental Impact Study expected to conclude in 2003. A final document will follow by March 2004 with a Federal record of decision expected by September 2004.

The combined MIS/EIS has never been tried in this region for many good reasons. Well-conducted Major Investment Studies result in a thorough cost-benefit analysis, with a mode-neutral focus and an objective that can be met by a number of alternatives including building nothing. Significant impacts to the environment and human health should be studied separately and avoided, minimized and mitigated. Impacts on the Hudson River will likely be short shrifted under the combined approach chosen by the Thruway, the purpose of which is to streamline the process and move quickly to permitting and construction. This approach will also cheat the proposal to put commuter rail transit on any new bridge, an addition that would greatly increase the project cost.

Transit was rejected out of hand in the Port Authority Goethals Bridge twin study for failing to meet Federal Transit Administration cost-benefit and ridership criteria. The proposed Tappan Zee Bridge transit would fare even worse under FTA criteria for federal funding as the Staten Island-Union/Essex County corridor is much denser than the Rockland-Westchester County corridor. In fact, according to the 2000 census figures reported in the New York Times, Staten Island is 4.6 times as dense as Rockland County.

In the case of the Goethals twin, the Port Authority was left to claim that extra lane space would be set aside on the proposed new bridge to be utilized for rail transit once the money is found. The Thruway may promise the same. However, many will remember that transit never materialized on the George Washington Bridge although spac was originally set aside for a New York City subway A-train connection. The level was later paved over, solidifying Bergen County as a sprawling bedroom community with few transit options and wasting the Bronx with Cross-Bronx Expressway traffic and pollution.