April 22, 2014
By Stephanie West
Bronx, NY – Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has issued a negative recommendation on the proposed construction of a new City Island Bridge. The recommendations come as part of the borough president’s charter mandated responsibilities in the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).
“The entire process surrounding the planning and construction of this bridge has been flawed from the very start,” said Borough President Diaz. “The previous administration simply ignored the valid criticisms of the residents of City Island regarding this project, and I cannot support its construction at this time.”
Borough President Diaz noted that he was pleased that Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg was reevaluating the current project, specifically looking to see if the current plan can be swapped for a more muted, scaled-down design that is more in line with community suggestions.
“Without question I believe this entire matter could have been better addressed by the previous administration. The ushering in of a new administration, however, provides an opportunity to address the current bridge design. I am committed in pursuing an alternative vision for the City Island Bridge, which has for so long been sought by the City Island community,” stated Borough President Diaz in his ULURP recommendation.
The complete ULURP recommendation can be read at: http://on.nyc.gov/1ixUD51.
“My office will continue to work with Commissioner Trottenberg and the Department of Transportation, local elected officials and the City Island community to develop a reasonable solution to this issue,” said Borough President Diaz.
