Stimulus Cash Will Fix Brooklyn Bridge, St.George Ferry Terminal & More!

[Cait Sith]

 

Stimulus Cash Will Fix Brooklyn Bridge, St.George Ferry Terminal & More!

 

 

 

 

BY Adam Lisberg

DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF

 

Tuesday, March 31st 2009, 4:00 AM

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* Brooklyn Bridge to get face-lift thanks to Feds, says Bloomberg

 

The federal stimulus will rain $261 million onto the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island ferry terminal and 16 smaller bridges - with work to start as soon as the weather warms up.

 

"The requirement was, be able to get them going. We're going to comply with the law," the mayor said Monday.

 

Mayor Bloomberg was speaking in front of the Greenpoint Ave. Bridge over Newtown Creek in Brooklyn, which will get a $6 million face-lift this fall.

 

The funds will also pump $47.2 million into this spring's $328 million project to repaint the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as rebuilding and widening its rusting access ramps.

 

It will also pay the entire $175 million cost of replacing seven bus and car ramps in and out of the St. George ferry terminal in Staten Island.

 

There will also be an additional $32.8 million to fix 15 smaller bridges in all five boroughs.

 

"Not only are they shovel-ready, there's no ridiculous projects in there," Bloomberg said.

 

With federal dollars now paying for those big projects, $261 million in city money will be sprinkled on 25 other unfunded road and bridge projects.

 

The funds will also free up $30 million city dollars to rebuild the Coney Island and Rockaway boardwalks.

 

And, that also frees an unexpected $37 million to turn the barren concrete of Long Island City's Queens Plaza into a lush, people-friendly plaza.

 

All told, Bloomberg said, the funds will jump-start $1.1 billion worth of transportation spending and fund 32,000 construction jobs.

 

Bloomberg was joined by Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both New York Democrats, and Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens) and Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn, Queens).

 

Source : http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/03/31/2009-03-31_stimulus_cash_will_fix_brooklyn_bridge.html

 

This is really exciting news. I've been waiting for the Brooklyn Bridge & St.George ferry bus ramps to get a major overhaul.

[metsfan]

Awesome.

 

- A

[MTR Admiralty]

For several weekends during 2010, the Brooklyn Bridge will close to all traffic. That means all traffic will have to be shifted to the Manhattan Bridge. The money will cover that rehabilitation.

[MTR Admiralty]

This stimulus money will allow the DOT to rehabilitate Houston Street from the East Rover to the Bowery.

That street needs to be fixed up. It's comparable to Queens Blvd. There were several cases of pedestrian/cyclist deaths the past year.

[MTR Admiralty]

You're telling me. I've realized this for years. I like about 3-4 blocks away from Houston and C.

 

Hey man, I don't wander there like everyday. I received the report from the Downtown Express.

[Maserati7200]

I never thought the Brooklyn bridge needs to be rehabilitated, its been looking great lately.

[MTR Admiralty]

I never thought the Brooklyn bridge needs to be rehabilitated, its been looking great lately.

 

Paint jobs and some other structural work

[Forest Glen]

I never thought the Brooklyn bridge needs to be rehabilitated, its been looking great lately.

 

Take a closer look. The beams are covered with rust. That's one of the reasons it was rated structurally deficient. Closing the bridge for a weekend will be a nuisance but if it means the bridge lasts another 100 years then it will be worth it.

[Brighton Local]

Both Ferry Terminals were just reconstructed, why more money towards them?

[MTR Admiralty]

Both Ferry Terminals were just reconstructed, why more money towards them?

 

They have to replace those ramp things that connect the terminal with the ferry. That's what I heard.