A Message to Cuomo: No Bridge or Tunnel Here

This article first appeared in the January 31st edition of The Leader. It is a hot button topic for residents of Long Island's north shore.

On January 26th, Governor Andrew Cuomo, announced that the New York State Department of Transportation has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to advance the proposed Long Island tunnel project, which the Governor announced in his 2018 State of the State address. 

The RFEI invites interested parties to provide input on engineering, environmental, operations and financial considerations that will be used to inform the future development of a Request for Proposals. It is the next step in the Governor’s plan for another route off Long Island. Perhaps there is a need for a tunnel from Long Island to the mainland, but it should not originate in the Oyster Bay area.

“Improving and expanding our transportation infrastructure is essential to moving New York forward,” Cuomo said. “Today we are taking another step to advance an ambitious project that would reduce traffic on the impossibly congested Long Island Expressway, improve connectivity, and help ensure the region’s future economic competitiveness.”

The RFEI builds upon the preliminary study released by the Department in 2017, which assessed the feasibility of a Long Island Sound crossing. The goal of this RFEI is to solicit ideas that will advance the project and maximize benefits to the region with the least economic and environmental risk to the State. The RFEI also invites respondents to comment on how the proposed tunnel would be integrated into and improve the Long Island region's overall mobility and connectivity; promote regional economic growth; and generate revenues to support the construction and annual operations and maintenance costs.  

Emphasis has been placed on the Oyster Bay area to Rye. Not one local politician is on board with this. The 22 mile difference between the Throgs Neck Bridge and Oyster Bay is not enough of a difference to warrant using the Oyster Bay location.

“I don’t see the need for it; you’re only shaving 15 to 20 minutes off a trip,” said Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset).

The other location up for consideration is the Kings Park area, at the end of the Sunken Meadow Parkway.

The study estimates a tunnel could cost up to $55 billion. DOT officials say they’ll be talking to people in private industry to gauge interest in the idea. Experts have until April 2nd to respond to DOT’s invitation to help craft a Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFP would then go to potential developers of a tunnel.