Lawmakers say they blocked proposal
A group of state lawmakers, including Jonathan Jacobson, whose Assembly district includes Beacon, say they have blocked a proposal by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to merge the agency that oversees Hudson Valley bridges with the state Thruway Authority.
The New York State Bridge Authority oversees six bridges, including Bear Mountain, Newburgh-Beacon and Walkway Over the Hudson. It is funded entirely by $60 million collected annually in tolls.
In a statement on April 1, Jacobson said the effort to kill the proposal had been “a tremendous team effort” between state legislators, the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce, local elected officials and union leaders.
“The fact that the Bridge Authority will remain autonomous means that funds generated by tolls on Hudson Valley bridges will stay in the Hudson Valley, and that our bridges will continue to be well-maintained with the lowest tolls in the state,” he said.
