Synopses & Reviews
The State of New York is now building one of the worldandrsquo;s longest, widest, and most expensive bridgesandmdash;the new Tappan Zee Bridgeandmdash;stretching more than three miles across the Hudson River, approximately thirteen miles north of New York City. In Politics Across the Hudson, urban planner Philip Plotch offers a behind-the-scenes look at three decades of contentious planning and politics centered around this bridge. He reveals valuable lessons for those trying to tackle complex public policies while also confirming our worst fears about government dysfunction.and#160;Drawing on his extensive experience planning megaprojects, interviews with more than a hundred key figuresandmdash;including governors, agency heads, engineers, civic advocates, and business leadersandmdash;and extraordinary access to internal government records, Plotch tells a compelling story of high-stakes battles between powerful players in the public, private, and civic sectors. He reveals how state officials abandoned viable options, squandered hundreds of millions of dollars, forfeited more than three billion dollars in federal funds, and missed out on important opportunities. Faced with the publicandrsquo;s unrealistic expectations, no one could identify a practical solution to a vexing problem, a dilemma that led three governors to study various alternatives rather than disappoint key constituencies.and#160;and#160;Politics Across the Hudson continues where Robert Caroandrsquo;s The Power Broker left off and illuminates the power struggles involved in building New Yorkandrsquo;s first major new bridge since the Robert Moses era. Plotch describes how one governor, Andrew Cuomo, shrewdly overcame the seemingly insurmountable obstacles of onerous environmental regulations, vehement community opposition, insufficient funding, interagency battles, and overly optimistic expectations.and#160;and#160;and#160;
Review
andquot;Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the Holland Tunnell are all part of the Jersey City heritage that we share with the rest of America, so Gillespie's carefully researched book is a welcome addition to my library.andquot;
Review
andquot;The success of the Holland and Lincoln Tunnel projects demanded marvels of technological prowess and near-miracles of political cooperation within the bi-state, ever-contentious confines of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Angus Kress Gillespie weaves this multi-layered story into a delightfully readable account; a remarkable feat of narrative engineering highlighting the author's trademark gifts of clarity, wit, precision, and an amazing gift for rendering highly technical processes into a most pleasurable experience of reading.andquot;
Review
andquot;Most commuters who pass through the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels are oblivious to the endeavors of the sandhogs who built them. Gillespie's book is a well-rounded tribute to the hard-working, blue-collar men who built these engineering marvels.
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Review
andquot;Philip Plotch combines a terrific story with a relentless search for evidence and doses of humor to give us a first-rate portrayal of the political process at work. He recounts the efforts over several decades to replace the aging Tappan Zee Bridge. Through three decades of struggle and failed plans, three governorsandmdash;George Pataki, Eliot Spitzer, and David Patersonandmdash;kept the project alive though often on a and#39;death watch.and#39; Plotch reveals how Governor Andrew Cuomo picked up the torch, manipulated the facts where he thought it necessary, and overcame many obstacles to begin construction.andquot;
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Review
andquot;Plotch has tremendous insight into the challenges of building extraordinarily complex projects in difficult political and fiscal climates. His professional experience and probing questions have enabled him to help explain Planet Albanyandmdash;a place where thought defies gravity.andquot;
Review
andquot;We spend years in traffic yet know little of the brew of politics, bureaucracy, interests, and ideals keeping us there. Planner and political scientist Plotch examines this principle through one transportation planning debacle: the three-decade struggle to refurbish or replace the Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River north of New York City ...and#160;Anyone concerned about the place of large infrastructure projects in the modern U.S. should consider this sobering case study.andquot;
Review
andldquo;The Tappan Zee Bridge has been a symbol of infrastructure inaction in the U.S. over the last several decades andndash; until now! New York Stateand#39;s Governor Cuomo has found the way to overcome the bickering among the many stakeholders and actually get to construction of the much needed replacement for this obsolescent and heavily used structure. How he did it, and how decades of issues stood in the way, are well told by Dr. Philip Plotch. This is a treatise for policy makers, planners, engineers, community leaders. Plotch has brought to light the genius in how to get big things done. It should go on your shelf next to your copy of Caro.andrdquo;and#160;
Review
andldquo;Even with my lifelong interest in traffic congestion, I had much to learn from Politics Across the Hudson. What resonated most with me is the extremely lengthy process of conflicting viewpoints among the many agencies involved in our transportation systems. Nothing gets done fast.andquot;
Review
andldquo;Plotchandrsquo;s analytical skills are top-notch and his writing is incisive and succinct. He writes with a historianand#39;s attention to detail, a political scientistand#39;s interest in theory, and a public policy scholarand#39;s fascination with how the sausage is actually made.andrdquo;and#160;
Review
Philip Plotch gives a brief history and sums up the future of the Tapen Zee Bridge project in this short videoand#160;(http://youtu.be/PltWbA1aBhI)
Synopsis
Crossing Under the Hudson takes a fresh look at the planning and construction of two key links in the transportation infrastructure of New York and New Jersey--the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels. Writing in an accessible style that incorporates historical accounts with a lively and entertaining approach, Angus Kress Gillespie explores these two monumental works of civil engineering and the public who embraced them. He describes and analyzes the building of the tunnels, introduces readers to the people who worked there--then and now--and places the structures into a meaningful cultural context with the music, art, literature, and motion pictures that these tunnels, engineering marvels of their day, have inspired over the years.
Today, when new concerns about global terrorism may trump bouts of simple tunnel tension, Gillespie's Crossing Under the Hudson continues to cast a light at the end of the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels.
Synopsis
Crossing Under the Hudson takes a fresh look at the planning and construction of two key links in the transportation infrastructure of New York and New Jersey--the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels. Writing in an accessible style that incorporates historical accounts with a lively and entertaining approach, Angus Kress Gillespie explores these two monumental works of civil engineering and the public who embraced them.
Synopsis
Politics Across the Hudson offers a behind-the-scenes look at three decades of contentious planning for the new Tappan Zee Bridge, revealing valuable lessons for those trying to tackle complex public policies. Drawing on his own extensive experience in planning megaprojects, more than one hundred exclusive interviews with key figures (including three governors), and extensive research into government records, Philip Plotch tells the compelling, behind-the-scenes story of high-stakes battles between powerful players in the public, private, and civic sectors.and#160;
About the Author
PHILIP MARK PLOTCH is an assistant professor of political science and director of the Masters in Public Administration program at Saint Peterandrsquo;s University in Jersey City. He is the former director of World Trade Center Redevelopment and Special Projects for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and the former manager of planning for New Yorkandrsquo;s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.and#160;
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. It Can't Be Done: Planning for the Holland Tunnel
2. A Breath of Fresh Air: Building the Holland Tunnel
3. Winning Acceptance: Grand Opening of the Holland Tunnel
4. Let's Build Another One: Construction of the Lincoln Tunnel
5. Law and Order: The Role of the Port Authority Police
6. Road Hazards: Threats to Life and Property
7. If You See Something, Say Something: Dealing with the Threat of Terrorism
8. Rush Hour Frustration: Dealing with Traffic Congestion
9. Tunneling Through the Arts: A Survey of Creative Endeavors
10. The Light at the End of the Tunnel: The Future of the Tunnels
Notes
Index