Statement from Senator Andrew Lanza

I will not be attending the MTA sponsored Verrazano – Narrows Bridge 50th anniversary event.  The MTA and I undoubtedly celebrate for different reasons.

The Verrazano – Narrows Bridge is an iconic structure and testament to our human spirit, and certainly an integral, if not defining part, of any understanding of the history of Staten Island.

We can celebrate the Bridge’s significance without joining MTA bureaucrats who have demeaned its grandeur and spoiled the party with their continued drive to treat the bridge as no more than a cash register, designed to siphon money from the hard working people of Staten Island. 

The good news is that the toll discount plan arrived at by myself, Assemblyman Cusick and Governor Cuomo will remain in effect irrespective of the MTA’s efforts to raise the toll.

The Verrazano – Narrows Bridge remains an engineering feat and marvel for all, and unfortunately a metaphor for what does and does not work in government.