NEWBURGH – Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson is reassuring the public that the new
commissioners appointed to the New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA) do not have the power to merge the NYSBA into the Thruway, abolish it, or change the legal structure of the authority. Jacobson said only the legislature can change the law.
Jacobson, who last spring organized regional State legislators and community groups
against the Governor’s proposal in the budget to merge the NYSBA into the Thruway, said, “We fought successfully to stop that ill-advised plan and I’ll organize opposition again to stop any new proposals that threaten the independence of the Bridge Authority.”
Jacobson indicated that the merger would have increased tolls and hurt the economy. The tolls just increased on the spans under the bridge authority jurisdiction.
“I pledge to continue to be a watchdog in the years ahead to make sure that the Bridge
Authority stays independent and true to its original intent as Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt said when the Bridge Authority was established in 1932 ‘to ensure smooth and affordable travel across the Hudson River and to keep these bridges independent, locally operated, and separate from the volatility of state finances,’” said Jacobson.