Tappan Zee Bridge Will House Bus Lane

The new Tappan Zee Bridge will have an exclusive bus lane during rush hour.

This is the first step towards bringing mass transit to the bridge, according to the New York State Thruway Authority spokesperson Andrew O’Rourke. The lanes will operate as bus lanes during the morning and evening rush hour periods. These lanes will also be used for emergency vehicles.

Public transit advocates have criticized the state in the past for not including mass transit on the $5 billion bridge, which carry cars between Westchester and Rockland. But this development, if it’s followed through, seems to be the response they’ve been looking for.

The bridge is likely to be built as twin spans, one for each direction. Each side will have seven lanes on it and a path for bicycles and pedestrians. The lane on the far right will be for emergency vehicles and during rush hour for buses as well.

About 138,000 cars and trucks cross the bridge on a typical weekday.

  bridge, bus, bus lane, buses, cars, exclusive, house, lane, mass transit, new, public transportation, Rockland, rush hour, tappan zee, Tappan Zee Bridge, Westchester