Issue Position: Transportation

Issue Position

The residents of Staten Island and Brooklyn rely on a combination of roads, bridges, ferries, tunnels, buses, and subway lines each day. Knowing the importance of safe roads and efficient public transportation, improving New York's transit system is of the utmost importance to me. Some of my biggest transportation priorities include:

Light Rail over the Bayonne Bridge

Staten Island commuters are faced with some of the longest commutes in the nation. To relieve road congestion and help lower commute times, I have made the construction of light rail extension over the Bayonne Bridge a top priority. A light rail would provide an alternative form of public transportation, allowing commuters to access the Hudson-Bergen light rail -- connecting them to New Jersey and providing an alternative route to lower Manhattan via the PATH. This would help alleviate congestion on routes such as the Verrazano Bridge, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the East River Crossings. I continue to work with the Port Authority and other key players to find the best way to incorporate the extension into plans to raise the Bayonne Bridge.

Maintaining Toll Discounts for Residents

New Yorkers, particularly those living in Staten Island, pay exorbitant tolls each day - often subsidizing other parts of the region with few benefits in return. The toll discount for residents provides some financial relief; however, that discount is at risk of being eliminated. To preserve the discount, I have introduced the Residential and Commuter Toll Fairness Act (H.R. 897) that would allow state and municipal governments to offer discounted rates to residents for trips taken on roads, bridges, rail, bus, ferry, or other transportation systems. This legislation is in response to a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on the case of Selevan v. New York Thruway Authority, which ruled that that toll discounts for New York residents of towns bordering the New York Thruway are unconstitutional.

Updated July 26, 2011

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