Long Island Sound Tunnel Proposal Controversial: POLL

Do you dread driving from Long Island to Westchester? It’s no better from Westchester to Long Island. But if Gov. Andrew Cuomo gets his way, there could at some point in the future be a tunnel — or a bridge or combination thereof — that would reduce travel time from Oyster Bay on Long Island to the Rye/Port Chester area in Westchester from 55-100 minutes to about 15-20 minutes, the state said, and it would likely connect to I-287 and the New York State Thruway.

Who wouldn’t want that, right? Well, so far, there is some opposition to the scheme.

A Long Island Sound Crossing Feasibility Study, commissioned by the state and published in Dec. 2017, said that proposals to create a connection across the sound go back to the 1930s.

This latest study aimed to do a high-level feasibility analysis to see if a Long Island Sound crossing would improve the region’s transportation network, promote economic growth, minimize adverse environmental impacts and develop cost-effective transportation options.

Regional benefits were found that would include improved air quality, reduced travel time and congestion, access to expanded labor markets and improved freight movements.

The study found the Oyster Bay to Rye/Port Chester proposal was the only one to best address or moderately address all of the goals. Both the tunnel by itself and the combination of a bridge and a tunnel met the criteria.

Having only a bridge was determined to fail minimizing adverse environmental impacts.

In January, Cuomo issued a request for expressions of interest from developers for the project. Six groups responded favorably by the April deadline, the Journal News said.

It is estimated the proposal would cost as much as $55 billion to complete and take two decades.

Hundreds of people showed up for a meeting recently at Jericho High School in Nassau County sponsored by an anti-tunnel committee.

Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said he was against the proposal.

“From tunneling under thousands of homes to an influx of visitors flooding our beaches and roads, the project will devastate our suburban quality of life,” he said, according to a Newsday article.

State Senator Carl L. Marcellino, R-Syosset, whose district represents parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties, said the proposal could destroy the fabric of impacted communities, disrupt the Sound’s fragile ecosystem and give rise to countless lawsuits.

“It is simply a non-starter,” he said. “Over the years, the community and local governments have worked very diligently to maintain and improve the beautiful suburban nature and pristine harbor we inherited from the residents who were here before us, so that one day we can pass it on to future generations.

“We have a responsibility to our residents to object to any project which will destroy our community,” Marcellino said.

The Rye City Council in February formed an advisory committee on the tunnel after Cuomo’s proposal was made. At the time, Rye City Manager Marcus Serano said there had been no heads-up on the proposal from the state, myrye.com said.

Councilman Benjamin Stacks said in February he was extremely concerned about something that would have such a large impact on Rye.

“With what I know right now, I am opposed to it,” he told myrye.com.

What do you think about the proposal to build a tunnel or a bridge/tunnel combination from Long Island to Westchester? Vote in our highly unscientific poll and leave other comments below.

Photo credit: NYS Department of Transportation.