Issue 461

June 7, 2004

$860 Million West Street Tunnel Earns National Rebuke Governor Pataki’s proposal to build an $860 million, four-block West Street By-Pass Tunnel adjacent to the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan was found to be one of the most wasteful highway proposals in the United States in a new report released in Washington by Taxpayers for Common Sense and Friends of the Earth. The report, Road to Ruin, was sponsored locally by NYPIRG and the Coalition to Save West Street. Critics say the tunnel will provide only modest – if any – benefits to pedestrians and the West Street landscape over less expensive surface street options. The next most costly option identified for the road is priced at $175 million. The environmental impact statement for the project shows that the tunnel will draw more traffic to West Street than at-grade options. Report at taxpayer.net A public hearing on the West Street project will take place June 24, 4-8pm, U.S. Customs House.v

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