Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson recenlty reassured the public that the new commissioners appointed to the New York State Bridge Authority do not have the power to merge the Bridge Authority into the Thruway, abolish it or in any way change the legal structure of the Bridge Authority. Only the Legislature can change the law and he’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.
Jacobson, who last spring organized regional State legislators and community groups against the Governor’s proposal in the budget to merge the Bridge Authority 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.”
“The proposed merger would have meant higher tolls and would have drastically hurt the economy and our quality of life in the Hudson Valley,” said Jacobson.
“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.
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