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Update: 4/14/05
NO TUNNEL.
Thank you, Governor Pataki.
Governor George E. Pataki today announced that NY State has abandoned plans to build a West Street tunnel. West Street will instead be rebuilt at grade, with no tunnel, the option our community prefers.
Please write Governor Pataki to thank him for this decision.
Update: 4/7/05
Goldman walks. Crunch time for Pataki.
For 3 years Governor Pataki has ignored overwhelming community opposition to the West St. tunnel. Now Goldman Sachs has got his attention.
And we’ve responded. Just to remind Mr. Pataki how many tens of thousands of people will suffer because of this unwanted tunnel he’s forcing on us. In case he’d forgotten.
Unless the governor abandons his outrageous boondoggle, he’ll further cripple our neighborhood with a loss of at least 10,000 jobs. His stubborn insistence on a tunnel has already halted redevelopment of the World Trade Center. If he persists, his legacy will be helping to complete the devastation of our community begun on 9/11 -- all for an unnecessary tunnel that can be driven through in 15 seconds.
Kill the tunnel, George. We know you like it, but nobody else does. Listen to your constituents and do the right thing. That will be an enduring legacy.
Please write Governor Pataki to state your opinion.
Update: 12/28/04
Biz or kids? Pataki chooses business.
The New York Post reports that local residents “are livid” over plans to extend the proposed West Street tunnel.
The extension would move dangerous tunnel ramps away from corporate headquarters, so that they will abut schools and childrens’ ball fields, instead.
Yes, we are livid. We survived 9/11. We expect our government to protect us, not to further endanger us. We will NOT tolerate that.
Please write Governor Pataki to tell him so.
Update: 12/4/04
Ouch! State shoots self in foot
Turns out that major corporations don't like tunnel ramps any more than we do (click to see article by David W. Dunlap).
According to the NY Times, NY State may bow to corporate wishes by expanding the proposed tunnel to move ramps away from corporate headquarters.
We consider this very unlikely.
For one thing, expansion of this unwanted little tunnel (you could drive through it in 15 seconds) would cost more than $1 billion, at a time when the state has a $6 billion deficit.
Also, this plan would invalidate the current environmental impact statement, leaving the state vulnerable to lawsuits by outraged local residents, companies and advocacy groups opposed to the proposed tunnel.
Thanks to David W. Dunlap for looking closely into the situation.
Update: 6/2/04
West Street: "Road to Ruin"
The NY Post reports that the influential public interest group Taxpayers for Common Sense has cited the proposed West Street tunnel as “one of the most wasteful highway projects in the country.” The group, which tracks government spending, says the tunnel is one of 27 projects across the nation that "should be eliminated immediately" because they are too costly.
Read the New York Post article (PDF, 46k)
Read why the West St. tunnel is one of the most wasteful projects in America (PDF, 63k)
Update: 4/17/04
Senator Schumer opposes tunnel
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced his opposition to the proposed West Street tunnel in a speech to the Regional Planning Association.
The New York Times quotes Senator Schumer as saying he opposes the tunnel, calling it a “plan [which] is backed by Gov. George E. Pataki, but nearby residents have opposed because of the potential disruptions.”
Please write to thank Senator Schumer for his effort to protect the interests of those who live and work here.
Read the New York Times article (PDF, 87k)
Read Senator Schumer’s full speech (PDF, 63k)
Update: 3/16/04
New poll: Residents "Overwhelmingly oppose" West Street tunnel
An “overwhelming majority” of downtown residents oppose the proposed West Street tunnel, according to a new poll conducted by Pace University.
The poll report calls this result “surprising” -- a curious response, since there have been at least three separate opinion polls conducted in the past two years, and every poll has found that a very large majority of lower Manhattan residents oppose the tunnelling of West Street.
Click here to read the full text of new poll results (PDF, 463k).
Update: 3/15/04
WTCRC opposes West St. tunnel
This week, the World Trade Center Residents Coalition endorsed CB1's July 2003 resolution opposing the West Street tunnel. Thanks to Sudhir Jain and the rest of the WTCRC Board for their years of great work.
Click here to read the full text of the CB1 resolution (PDF, 71k).
Update: 3/03/04
GPTA opposes West St. tunnel
This week, the Gateway Plaza Tenants Association (representing over 3,000 residents of Gateway Plaza in Battery Park City) circulated a letter opposing the proposed West Street tunnel, and asking residents to submit comments to that effect on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Study (DGEIS) for the WTC Site. The New York Times reported:
"Physically, the bulk of the comments came from Gateway Plaza in Battery Park City, opposing the possible construction of a tunnel under West Street, even though it is not technically part of the development corporation's impact statement.”
Click here to read the full text of the GPTA petition (PDF, 120k)
Click here to read the full text of the NY Times article (PDF, 120k).
Update: 8/04/03
Manhattan Community Board 1 decides not to endorse West St. tunnel
At its last summer session on July 29th, Manhattan Community Board 1 passed a resolution expressing “serious reservations” about the proposed West Street tunnel. The resolution, which was passed by a vote of 25 to 10, calls for the New York State Department of Transportation and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to “conduct a more thorough review” of alternatives.
Among the concerns cited by the Community Board are the tunnel’s high cost, impact of prolonged construction on local residents & businesses, effects on traffic to and from adjacent neighbhorhoods, and the effect of tunnel entrances on pedestrian crossings.
Click here to read full text of CB1 resolution.
Please write Community Board 1 to thank them for helping to protect our neighborhood.
Update: 6/27/03
U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler opposes West St. tunnel
We're pleased to report that Congressman Jerrold Nadler has announced his unqualified opposition to any West Street tunnel on grounds that it is too expensive, too disruptive, and offers little benefit to the community.
The Congressman's position was first stated at a June 13 meeting with representatives of the Coalition to Save West Street, the New York City Transit Riders’ Council and the New York City Straphangers Campaign. Mr. Nadler publicly confirmed his position following a June 24 New York State Department of Transportation public information session on West Street options.
Please write Congressman Nadler to thank him for taking this stand to help protect our neighborhood.
Update: 5/20/03
City Council Member Alan Gerson “vigorously opposes” any tunnel
 We're pleased to report that City Council Member Alan Gerson, as part of his "Livability First" Initiative, has advised Community Board 1 that he is "unalterably opposed to sinking West Street." Mr. Gerson said that burying West Street is in contravention of local wishes, and a waste of our scarce resources in a time of fiscal crisis. His report to Manhattan Community Board 1 concluded, "Council Member Gerson salutes the Save West Street Coalition for keeping up pressure on the Governor on this important issue."
Please write City Council Member Alan Gerson to thank him for his dedicated support of our community. Read Council Member Gerson's statement of opposition to the West Street tunnel (1 page) and his Livability First statement for details (12 pages).
Update: 1/19/03
State Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick opposes tunnel
We're pleased to report that New York State Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick has announced her unqualified opposition to any West Street tunnel. In a letter to constituents explaining her position, Ms. Glick cited the project's excessive cost, negligible benefits, and harmful disruption to the community. Please write Assemblymember Glick to thank her for taking this stand to help protect our neighborhood.
Read Assemblymember Glick’s position statement
Write to thank Assemblymember Glick!
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