The High Line Here?

The view from the Tappan Zee Bridge is one of the most beautiful sights on the Hudson. It’s too bad that one is usually in a car, battling traffic and barely able to take it all in. If Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner gets his way, honking horns and toll lanes will be replaced with walkways and bike lanes, turning the Tappan Zee into a suburban High Line.

Last week, the Obama administration approved Governor Cuomo’s request to fast track construction of a new Tappan Zee Bridge to replace the older and deteriorating bridge. On the heels of that news, Feiner unveiled a plan to make the current bridge a recreational expanse for walkers, bikers, residents and tourists to enjoy and to link Westchester and Rockland Counties.

Feiner who says that saving the bridge from demolition would save hundreds of millions of dollars likens this plan to the High Line in New York City where private monies funded this wildly successful project. He envisions a place where millions can enjoy summer events, gardens and sculptures and an attraction that would be a boon to local businesses, home prices and Westchester’s economy.

Feiner has reason to be optimistic. Another converted walkway in the New York Metropolitan area whose success has far outpaced expectations is the Walkway Over the Hudson . This pedestrian walkway converted from old rail tracks, links Poughkeepsie and Highland. According to a report in the New York Times, the Walkway has attracted over 600,000 visitors a year, far exceeding expectations, and is much cheaper to maintain than it would have been to demolish.

Feiner has support from founders of the High Line and the Walkway for the Tappan Zee conversion. On WNYC this week, High Line creators Joshua David and Robert Hammond told radio host Leonard Lopate that they were excited by the prospects of this project.

And Fred Schaeffer, the father of the Walkway Over the Hudson will lend his support to Feiner by speaking at a meeting Feiner is holding on November 16th to help form a committee to press for this project.

Not everyone is as excited by this idea. Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino’s office appears a bit dubious of Feiner’s plan. Astorina spokeswoman Donna Greene explains; “While it’s exciting that we got fast tracked, we don’t have a lot of specifics yet on what’s going to happen. We do know that the new bridge will be north of the current one but will let out at the same point. Feiner can say a walkway will cost less, but less than what? Money is tight and our priority is to get the best new bridge built we can. It is highly unlikely there will be enough money to do both.”

Aside from the economics, there are some practical matters to take into consideration. Parking: Would visitors inundate the towns of Tarrytown and Piermont? How would they get to the bridge from there if the new bridge will have similar access points?

The size and slope: The Tappan Zee differs from the High Line and the Walkway in that is it much longer, over 3 miles, compared to the mile and change of the Walkway Over the Hudson and the mile and a half expanse of the High Line. It’s also steep. The hill leading up to the bridge itself could detract walkers and will only be good for skilled bikers. Feiner says that the length is actually something he sees as a plus. “We can have that much more there. We can have gardens and rest areas and food stands. There are more possibilities with the length of it.”

Feiner adds that keeping this bridge rather than demolishing it adds another layer of security. He says that one police chief he spoke to says that this can provide another way to leave Westchester in case of an emergency and provides more security to this region.

On the other hand, one can’t ignore the Tappan Zee’s grim history of suicides. Some question how the area could be monitored and if a walkway creates an increased risk for more of these.

On a beautiful day, a pedestrian walkway over the Tappan Zee may seem like a great idea. The successes of the High Line and the Walkway Over the Hudson are compelling reasons to be optimistic about this project. However, in this tough financial climate where it is doubtful that government monies will be available, the prospect of funding the overhaul from private donations may be unrealistic. This may be a very cool idea, but one that is too hard to sell.

If you’re interested in learning more, attend the first meeting on the plan at 8 pm on Wednesday, November 16th in the cafeteria at Greenburgh Town Hall 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh.