New York State Thruway

[Rothman]

Cuomo's ego knows no bounds, given how he has been treating his way-behind opponent.

[kalvado]

It's opening is apparently rushed in some political move to boost Cuomo's governor race. Not that he needs it against Nixon.

I wouldn't say it was truly rushed. The way they describe the issue is that something unexpectedly broke ("loud bang") in the old bridge being demolished; and that became a concern. With weather not being best for construction, this is a real unfortunate situation.
Now since Cuomo II used the opening as a chance to socialize with the former (laundry list of high rank positions and ambitions) - who, as a former senator, cannot even take credit for obtaining federal funding for the project - there is a federal loan for like 1/4 of total cost... Well, and overall this is not an opportunity to miss - giggle at both as much as you want.

[cl94]

Eh, the snafu on Friday was entirely unrelated to the new bridge. They ARE rushing to get the new bridge done, but Cuomo was likely not the only reason. NYSTA probably wanted to end two-way traffic on the WB span and move WB traffic off of the ped path before the winter. That had a ton of issues last winter and there were several large accidents and closures. There's a bit of work they need to do on the approaches after EB shifts but before WB shifts and they're running out of warm weather. If I were NYSTA, I'd be trying to rush that along as well. Big PR disaster last winter and they probably don't want to repeat it.

[vdeane]

Took a drive on the Thruway between Suffern and Albany this past weekend in both directions.  The southbound drive was in the dark, so I couldn't see much.  One thing I could (or couldn't) see were some new Clearview signs in spots which have no reflectivity.  These were around Exits 15A/15. 

Also, noticed some permanent variable message signs which advertised "GMCB ROADWORK".  A roadgeek would know that stands for "Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge", but I think the name is too new/not established enough to start using acronyms.  After all, this isn't the "GWB" we're talking about.

There are a ton of those "New York State Experience" signs and their accompanying signs for attractions, etc.  They appear about every 30 miles.  My first time seeing them mid-state.  What an eyesore.

The northbound trip was made in the daylight.  Not much has changed since my last drive on this section some 10 years ago.  There's construction going on along the New Baltimore northbound offramp.  It appeared to look like a service plaza construction, but consulting with the NYSTA website, looks to be the capital region welcome center being built. 

So that got me to looking around the Thruway site and found the contacts for conversion of the Spring Valley, New Rochelle, and Yonkers barriers to all-electronic tolling:
New Rochelle (let date 9/12)
Yonkers (let date 8/29)
Spring Valley (let date 10/3)
http://www.thruway.ny.gov/business/contractors/documents/index.shtml


And a link to the sign photos I got northbound from Exits 15A-24:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/albums/72157698882031051

Seeing the tandem lot in the Yonkers plans made me wonder about Harriman, since it has some stuff off the toll barrier and I could have sworn I remember reading something about it.  Alas, the plans for that one are no longer online.

[MikeCL]

Well, it's not opening after all.
https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2018/09/07/fears-tappan-zee-bridge-could-collapse-boats-barred/1232918002/

And whose fault is it for building the two spans so close to the old one?

I assume approaches couldn't be moved too much. Riverfront real estate is expensive, real estate near NYC is expensive, and imminent domain takes a lot of money and time...

Perfect timing with this with the new spans did the approaches eastbound side move at all? I can't really see too well when driving it seems like it did but tbh it's hard too see too much of the change.

[MikeCL]

I think that the original plan was to route the Thruway through NJ down Route 17 to the NJ Turnpike and then onward to the GWB.  It would be useful to have that routing today.

New Jersey would have to agree to participate in that.  Unless they were willing then the point is moot. 

Therefore a NY Thruway routing would be entirely within NYS and be routed somewhere around the Tappan Zee area.

I know this (very roughly) describes the current routing but I would imagine starting the NY Thruway at the end of the Palisades Parkway or Garden State Parkway being logical (with the connection to the GWB being something like NJ-3).  Of course the big issue is that the parkways restrict trucks...

By the way, going off topic, but do you know if the Garden State Parkway bans buses?  I remember taking a Peter Pan from NYC to Hartford and the driver took the Lincoln Tunnel to NJ-3 to the GS Parkway up to the Tappan Zee.  Seemed odd to me because I thought the GS Parkway was strictly for cars.

Going off topic again just curious are bus and large uhals allowed on the West Side highway in NYC? I've seen a bus take the lower level of the GWB which I thought was odd.

[RobbieL2415]

Well, it's not opening after all.
https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2018/09/07/fears-tappan-zee-bridge-could-collapse-boats-barred/1232918002/

And whose fault is it for building the two spans so close to the old one?

I assume approaches couldn't be moved too much. Riverfront real estate is expensive, real estate near NYC is expensive, and imminent domain takes a lot of money and time...

Perfect timing with this with the new spans did the approaches eastbound side move at all? I can't really see too well when driving it seems like it did but tbh it's hard too see too much of the change.

No commercial vehicles (incl. busses) on the West Side from 57th Street north.

[Alps]

As of 10:07 PM, the new EB Tappan Zee has opened.

[MikeCL]

 Nice I'll take that way home to NJ to check it out.. is the old tap still standing?

[MikeCL]

Well, it's not opening after all.
https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2018/09/07/fears-tappan-zee-bridge-could-collapse-boats-barred/1232918002/

And whose fault is it for building the two spans so close to the old one?

I assume approaches couldn't be moved too much. Riverfront real estate is expensive, real estate near NYC is expensive, and imminent domain takes a lot of money and time...

Perfect timing with this with the new spans did the approaches eastbound side move at all? I can't really see too well when driving it seems like it did but tbh it's hard too see too much of the change.

No commercial vehicles (incl. busses) on the West Side from 57th Street north.

Ok

[Alps]

Nice I'll take that way home to NJ to check it out.. is the old tap still standing?

Pieces.

[MikeCL]

Went over the bridge today not how I expected to cross still the same but the Other side now has the workers on the other side now.

Here is the dash cam of me crossing

https://youtu.be/w0j-AV1CKVs

[Buffaboy]

I-90 WB between NY 400 and Lackawanna Toll Booth is getting a nice upgrade. They already have traffic going on a pair of new bridges over Seneca St and Potters Rd. NYSDOT is also working on the bridges over Smoke Creek and the rail tracks. The latter still is getting steel put in, the former appears to be 60-70 percent completed.

[webny99]

Anyone who claims they have driven the Thruway, must first have done so between Buffalo and Rochester after a Bills Game, to witness the roadside cheerleaders, left lane camping, road rage, shirtless fans at the service area, brake-festing and all around confounding, unearthly experience, before they can truly call it clinched.

Disclaimer: after doing this, you will be convinced as to the need for six lanes on this segment of the Thruway. And yes, I did it yesterday, the whole works, as described above!

[Rothman]

The passion of Bills' fans is only surpassed by the weakness of the team's offensive line.

[froggie]

Sorry, but when one doesn't have adequate funding to begin with, one certainly doesn't spend extravagant amounts of it to address events that only happen 8 days a year.

There may well be valid reasons to widen the Thruway.  But Bills games are not one of them.

[cl94]

There may well be valid reasons to widen the Thruway.  But Bills games are not one of them.

Oh, there are plenty. But I agree with football not being one of them.

[webny99]

There may well be valid reasons to widen the Thruway.  But Bills games are not one of them.

Oh, there are plenty. But I agree with football not being one of them.

You took me way too seriously. Summer weekends in general can be almost as bad as yesterday was; of course the Thruway should not be widened just because of Bill's games.
We don't have much precedent for an entire metro's worth of fans traveling to another metro for a football game, but it just goes to show how much travel/inter-connectivity there is between Rochester and Buffalo. Easily enough to warrant six lanes.

The passion of Bills' fans is only surpassed by the weakness of the team's offensive line.

Side note: I'm not a Bills fan; I just happened to be returning from Canada yesterday afternoon.

[SignBridge]

Froggie, you say the Thruway Authority doesn't have adequate funding? Do you know how much money they collect in tolls every single day?

[kalvado]

Froggie, you say the Thruway Authority doesn't have adequate funding? Do you know how much money they collect in tolls every single day?

And do you know how much they spend?
Interestingly enough, while their budget is screwed by new Tappan Zee - but seems the rest of the operations are slightly in red. Thanks to Cuomo's toll freeze, I assume.

[SignBridge]

Are you saying the new T-Z Bridge came out of the Authority's regular operating budget? That it was not a separately funded project?

[Alps]

Froggie, you say the Thruway Authority doesn't have adequate funding? Do you know how much money they collect in tolls every single day?

Thruway is bleeding money right now thanks to TZB and toll freezes.

[kalvado]

Are you saying the new T-Z Bridge came out of the Authority's regular operating budget? That it was not a separately funded project?

No, I am saying NYSTA doesn't make an effort to paint a clear picture. They do separate those budgets, but go only that far - for example, debt and state funds are not separated.
Anyway, for 2017 revised budget they show $777M revenue vs $1001M spending outside of the bridge project. Which is, you know, means tolls do not cover all costs even without big projects outside of the new bridge.
That is on top of ongoing personnel cuts - mainline lost something like 30% over 20 years; and I sure hope those are toll takers replaced by EZpass readers, not maintenance folks.

[Buffaboy]

I don't know if I brought this up earlier, but I think it's nonsensical that the Thruway Authority is essentially undertaking a full reconstruction of the Thruway in West Seneca without widening it to 4 lanes.

[webny99]

I don't know if I brought this up earlier, but I think it's nonsensical that the Thruway Authority is essentially undertaking a full reconstruction of the Thruway in West Seneca without widening it to 4 lanes.

It's already is four lanes (per direction) between I-190 and NY 400.
If I recall, the current construction is on the six-lane segment south of NY 400, between there and US 219. I'm not sure that stretch needs eight lanes; a widening further north, from I-190 up to NY 33, must be a higher priority, given volumes sustained well above 100K along that segment, compared to around 95K on the segment you mention.