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....October 13, 12:52 PM |
| Fourth Lane Killed: State DOT Nixes Possibility Of LIE Expansion In Latest Study
By MICHAEL REHAK Imagine the possibility of driving on the Long Island Expressway in either direction from the Van Wyck to the Cross Island and having the luxury of an additional lane.
Keep dreaming. Although extensive traffic studies of the six-mile stretch of highway have included options that would construct an HOV lane or a fourth general use lane in each direction, the idea was publicly shot down Wednesday, as the agency found neither to be a viable option that should be explored. “Right now, we are only focusing on ramp and safety improvements on the LIE,” said state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisa Kuhner. “This includes extending acceleration and deceleration lanes in this area, which will assist cars from safely entering and exiting the Long Island Expressway.” She said adding lanes “is not a viable option.” A Sordid Past For four years, state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) fought the DOT’s proposal to bring the HOV lane into the borough, citing that it would have cut into homeowners’ properties. Padavan had support from then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gov. George Pataki, former Borough President Claire Shulman and others. The DOT backed out after settling on a lawsuit in which Padavan acted as the plaintiff. The DOT was left to redesign ramps and interchanges. Bubbling Up The idea of the HOV lanes percolated a bit this week when Bayside’s Community Board 11 settled down for a short fall meeting. East Bayside Homeowner Association President and CB11 Board Member Frank Skala was going to have to miss the meeting, but wanted the board to know that his group was opposed to the HOV or new lane construction. At the meeting, CB 11 voted to tell the DOT to go ahead with any proposed studies, other than the HOV concept. Members were not aware, at the time, that a number of the studies had already been performed and that two contentious options, the HOV and a fourth lane, were already off the table. The Options After examining traffic patterns and other data, the DOT devised five options for handling the highway renovation. The first, known as the No-Build option, would simply involve inspecting pavement, replacing lines and repairing cracks, joint sealing and drainage. In addition it would repaint and repair bridge overpasses. This wouldn’t cost more than the regular maintenance of the highway. The second option, Alternative 1, involves what is referred to as the “3R Project,” which includes resurfacing, restoration and rehabilitation. This would add to the no build scenario and would include resurfacing the highway, rebuilding shoulders and replacing signs, signals and guardrails. Total cost: $24 million. Alternative 2 improves traffic and safety operations. Bridges would be replaced and made to accommodate auxiliary lanes. There would also be improved signing, lighting, speed change lanes and signal timing. This option goes further than the previous two, but no designs have been constructed, according to DOT. Total cost: $134 million. The first of the excluded options is the addition of the fourth lane, which is Alternative 3. This includes the construction of a general use lane in each direction between the Van Wyck and the Cross Island. Total cost: $365 million. Alternative 4, also taken off the table, would be the construction of an HOV lane. This is similar to Alternative 3, but the new lanes would be HOV rather than for “General Use.” Total cost: $409 million. Alternative 5 would add a fourth lane between the Clearview Expressway and the Cross Island, plus it would include the improvements of Alternative 2. It has also been taken off the list of options. Total cost: $249 million. |
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