Group Seeking Comment On Cross-Harbor Tunnel Proposal

A regional transportation planning commission is soliciting comments from the public on the improvements to truck traffic in Maspeth and the Cross Harbor Tunnel project.

The New York City Transportation Coordinating Committee (NYCTCC) has announced a period of public review for amendments to its portion of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) Federal Fiscal Year 2008-2012 Transportation Improvement Program.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council plans and makes decisions on the use of federal transportation funds. The NYMTC region includes New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley; each area has its own Transportation Coordinating Committee, which recommends transportation priorities and provides opportunities for the private and public sector to become involved in the planning process.

Among the projects under debate:

• a plan to implement truck route improvements in Maspeth.

The scope of the work, according to a press release, will include "developing a truck route study and the implementation of near-term safety improvements."

The NYCTCC estimates that the project, being sponsored by the city Department of Transportation, will cost $500,000 of funds earmarked from the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, and $125,000 from the DOT.

• completion of the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project's Environmental Impact Statement.

The press release noted that the project was originally on the Fiscal Year 2002- 2004 Transportation Improvement Program but was scrapped "due to lack of funding and sponsorship."

An earmark in the SAFETEA bill added federal funds to the project to allow completion of the EIS, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has assumed sponsorship of the $12 million project.

Other projects include:

• improvements to bring the existing Cross-Harbor Rail freight service to a state of good repair, including rehabilitation of existing float/transfer bridges, barges, support tracks, interchange tracks, and switches, and the purchase of new low-emission locomotives to replace existing equipment;

• a study to investigate the potential of light-rail or trolley service between the Downtown Brooklyn and Red Hook;

• construction of step streets and a pedestrian plaza on Cole Lane between East Kingsbridge Road and Bainsbridge Avenue in the Bronx; • rehabilitation of the Dyckman Street 1 train station in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, including work on station platforms, canopies, railings as well as structural repairs.

In addition, an existing project to purchase 292 new train cars for use on the E and F train lines is to be expanded to 382 cars (at a total cost of $843 million).

The comment period opened Dec. 30 and ends on Jan. 13, 2009.

All comments must be received in writing, and should be addressed to Uchenna Madu, New York City Transportation Coordinating Committee, 47-40 21st Street, Long Island City New York, NY 11101. Residents can also e-mail their comments to umadu@dot.state.ny.us or fax them to 1-718-482-6686.