STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Politicians from both sides of the span want to see better planning for when the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes down due to weather or for other reasons.
Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn) and Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) issued a press release following a storm earlier this month that shuttered the bridge, initially to trucks and later to all vehicles, and their Staten Island counterparts — Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn), Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) and Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island) — are on board.
“Intermittent Verrazzano Bridge closures cause a reliable ripple effect that quickly turns the streets of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights into dangerous parking lots, choking intersections, putting pedestrians in peril, and blocking NYPD, FDNY and EMS emergency response. Cautiously closing the upper levels of the Verrazzano for dangerous high winds instantly forces an equally dangerous situation in the surrounding neighborhoods with no plan and no one to manage it,” Brannan said. “Public safety is non-negotiable. The same spirit of safety that demands Verrazzano closures for extreme weather demands a contingency plan for our neighborhoods.”
A Jan. 9 storm closed the bridge to traffic prompting congestion on both sides because of safety concerns, and the issue has presented itself multiple times in recent years, particularly on days with high winds.
Specifically, the two Brooklyn legislators called for the city and state to better manage traffic in the event of a shutdown, provide better options for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) buses to navigate shutdowns, and better communicate with commuters when a shutdown occurs.
“Every time the Verrazzano Bridge closes for trucks or vehicles, Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights streets grind to a halt. Residents can’t get home, buses bunch up and pedestrians feel unsafe as reckless drivers use one way streets and…
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