New York – The federal government has turned down the state’s request to apply for a $2 billion loan to help pay for a replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge, The Journal News has learned.
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The state had been counting on the money from the U.S. Department of Transportation for pay for the new $5 billion project, in conjunction with tolls increases and bonding. There is no other financing in place for the new bridge.
“That’s a big piece of what we hope will be the funding plan for the new Tappan Zee Bridge is to get a long-term, low-interest loan,” Thruway Authority executive director Thomas Madison said in March.
Good for the Feds. The new design for the bridge makes no provision for mass transit. It would cost $5billion plus and be obsolete from the moment it opened Who would benefit by that? I am sure someone would, but certainly not the US taxpayer.
I don’t understand this. The bridge is part of the interstate infrastructure and thus should be federally funded. If it’s falling apart there really is not much choice.
You wanna know what I think? (Well, of COURSE you do) I think that the current administration feels a bit TOO secure with getting the New York vote!
No need to waste money on us that could be better spent buying votes in other states…
Unless, maybe, just maybe, the Federal government decided not to lend NY the money because they would rather give it to us as a GRANT. (Oh, and btw, my Grandmother is the Tooth-fairy.)
Let’s rename it from Tappen Zee Bridge NY to Bridge to nowhere Alaska and we will get the full 5 Billion funding.
Excellent News! Now they have an excuse to raise tolls another 50%! It never ends folks it just never ends.
oh well , back to the drawing board
Why do yidden need this bridge anyway. Its easier to get to the mountains using the GW Bridge or Holland Tunnel. Maybe monsey-bound traffic might have benefited by even there, not so many people commute from the city to Monsey.
What bothers me is the way billis of dollars are use Without any sense of accountability. I mean come on Does it cost exactly 5,000,000,000 dollars? Why can’t we get an exact amount that it really costs???
In the full article the Thruway director explains that the Feds didn’t say “no” only that they don’t have the money now (because of budget cutbacks): “We understand that in light of current financing constraints, the US DOT has prioritized smaller projects that are further along in development and required immediate financing in this first round.” The bridge is on the short list for the next round of funding.