Cuomo Maintains That Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Toll Break Is Still A Priority

Governor Andrew Cuomo took time recently to remind agitated Verrazano-Narrows Bridge commuters that bringing toll relief is still a priority. SI Live is reporting that despite the challenges of bringing such a deal to fruition, Cuomo expressed his belief that it will happen.

Earlier in the week, we reported on an SI Live editorial that claimed mayoral candidates Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota have ignored the Verrazano toll issue in their campaigns and have thus far offered little in the way of solutions. Speaking at a post-Sandy rebuilding initiative, Cuomo announced that he had not forgotten the issue and that it remained a priority for his administration:

A toll break on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge for Staten Island residents remains a “priority,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

Noting his administration has “come up with alternative solutions for Staten Island before” when it comes to bridge tolls, Cuomo said that when it comes to the V-N, “We’re working to do that.”

“I am confident we will get there,” said Cuomo, calling it “complicated” and “expensive.”

In March, we reported that it appeared all but certain that a deal would be struck between lawmakers that would cut the tolls by 50 percent but it never materialized, leaving commuters to swallow the high toll costs until a solution is reached in a future legislative session.