Tunnel from Oyster Bay to Rye no longer on the table

According to a release from Paul Karas, the acting commissioner of the state Transportation Department, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has decided not to go forward with a cross-sound tunnel to Westchester “at this time.” Other media outlets say that the release, which we have not seen yet, states that a variety of considerations, both technical and financial, pertaining to the project led to the decision to abandon the tunnel.

The tunnel’s design had called for an 18-mile long multilevel tube with two lanes on each level. It would have stretched for nine miles under the Long Island Sound, and for the other nine miles underground, on the North Shore and in Westchester. The entrances and exits would have been north of the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway and Jericho Turnpike, and south of the New England Thruway and Playland Parkway. The project, estimated to cost $31.5 billion, would take 12 to 15 years to complete.

“I think the governor realized that the Assembly and Senate were not going to create a New York State Authority to build the tunnel,” said Assemblyman Charles Lavine, a Democrat from Glen Cove. “The projected cost was a fraction of what it would have cost. It probably would have cost $150 billion.”

Calls to the governor’s representatives were not returned this evening making it difficult to know what the entire reason for the demise of the tunnel could be.

The efforts of the Village of Bayville’s Anti-Tunnel Committee, that has been hosting a series of meetings the past few months for different communities, could have helped. The group shared a PowerPoint presentation that included information on the ramifications of a tunnel to hundreds of people.

Or the decision could have been made after yesterdays a press conference announcing the formation of a nonprofit bipartisan organization, the Coalition Against an UnSound Crossing. It included environmentalists, a Marine, an advertising executive and a retired Newsday reporter, among others, that committed to an aggressive education campaign as well as print and television advertising. The press conference in Woodbury was well attended by elected leaders and the media.

John Taylor, who created the organization with Bill Bleyer, a former Newsday reporter, said he believes that the positive response to the press conference may have caused the governor to reconsider. “The press conference got picked up by all the TV stations except ABC,” he said. “To see the photo of all of these elected leaders from both parties, Chuck [Lavine], [Senator] Marcellino, and [Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor] Saladino standing side by side may have helped.”

“The efforts of the coalition had a unified voice of truth and fact,” said Peter Janow, the executive director of the coalition. “And the message resonated with the residents and elected officials. That voice made it up to Albany. The people do not want this.”

Janow said he is elated, but cautious too. “This is something that may be a long-term fight,” he said. “I’m happy to hear the decision was made but am also aware that the governor said, “at this time.” We will continue to be involved, pay attention and see how things go.”

More to follow.