As the environmental review process to fix or replace the Goethals bridge begins, former critics of the 1990s "twin" bridge proposal hope the new study creates significant room for common ground.

A few encouraging points about the new study stand out. First and foremost, the Port Authority appears to have placed emphasis on fixing the Goethals’ functional problems with a replacement bridge without creating a major increase in roadway capacity. Second, transit and bike/pedestrian options across the span are a goal of the study. Third, the Port Authority’s implementation of congestion-mitigating peak-period toll premiums, its progress toward reopening the rail freight corridor across the Arthur Kill, and its pending plans for high-speed E-ZPass applications at Staten Island bridges set a good precedent for the study.

At recent public hearings in Staten Island and Elizabeth, the Tri-State Campaign urged that any replacement span along I-278 over the Arthur Kill match the lane capacity of the highways that lead to and from it. Any more than three general use lanes in each direction across the Arthur Kill will only cause bottlenecks as drivers move onto the Staten Island Expressway. We also urged an extended study area — the Goethals is part of an extended corridor and conditions on the bridge can affect traffic patterns from Rahway to Queens, or farther.

The Staten Island hearing seemed to mark a near-consensus on these points. Speakers emphasized the need for the bridge to be modernized, but various remarks suggested that denting congestion over the long term would be better addressed by increasing Staten Island transit options. Civic and elected leaders have acknowledged that there’s no room for new roadways on the island. Following the hearings, a Staten Island Advance editorial that called for a modest replacement bridge noted: "More mass transit and other infrastructure improvements for Staten Island would cut down on the number of vehicles on the road."

In Elizabeth, a crowd of nearly 50 were generally supportive of the project, but called for better cycling and walking access to the crossing, and some called for the bridge’s repair. Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said he would fight the project unless he was assured of upgrades to local streets and connectors to the span.

A draft environmental review is supposed to be out in early 2006. The project’s website is www.goethalseis.com. 

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