May 5, 2003

The Journal News

To the Editor:

The Ongoing Disaster of Rte 287!

As a life long resident of Westchester and a frequent traveler on this county’s roads for more than 40 years, I would like to ask the question, when are we going to see progress on the Cross Westchester Expressway, and who can give us a report on a reasonable timeframe for this boondoggle to be finished? When I lived in Mount Vernon I was aware of the ten-year effort to improve a short stretch of the Cross County Parkway that dominated the 1960’s. We all know that there are no social, political or community forces that can oppose these projects that are immune to oversight by local authorities. Hearings never seem to matter, and any political leader who stands up against these efforts is always deemed an obstructionist. I propose a type of “morning after” legislation. This would in effect hold the planners, architects, and engineers who are hired by these insulated State Agencies to be accountable for their work once these projects are completed. In other words, if we are told through their “studies” that our current road/highway is too congested and too unsafe and we determine, after the fact, that their “expensive” alterations, reconstructions, and repairs were unnecessary then they should be held accountable to civil action. We are constantly forced to endure long and horrible delays on some of our main roads. It seems to me that this current work, on Rte 287, that has dragged on for years, should be a perfect example of a reason to have legislation to hold those responsible for these “so-called” improvements.

Richard J. Garfunkel

Member of the Advisory Board of the Parks and Recreation

Department, Town of Greenbugh.