LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to recommend the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to
formulate an engineering and funding solution to the impasse at the
Bayonne Bridge, which is too low to accommodate certain ships

WHEREAS, The air clearance of the Bayonne Bridge is 151 feet at low
tide, which is too low to accommodate many large ships calling on the
Port of New York and New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, After the completion of the expansion of the Panama Canal in
2014, the number of large ships requiring air clearance in excess of 151
feet will grow as more cargo is delivered directly to East Coast ports
from Asia; and
WHEREAS, Eighty-eight percent of containerized cargo is delivered to
New York and New Jersey Marine Terminals located west of the Bayonne
Bridge; and
WHEREAS, If the bridge remains too low to accommodate these larger
ships, the Port of New York and New Jersey will be put at a competitive
disadvantage with ports in Norfolk, Virginia, Charleston, South Caroli-
na, Savannah, Georgia, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, for access to new Asian
cargo; and
WHEREAS, The Port of New York and New Jersey supports 270,000 jobs in
the region; and
WHEREAS, New York would face a loss of jobs and business activity due
to the competitive disadvantage caused by restriction of access at the
Bayonne Bridge; and
WHEREAS, The Port Authority has received a study from the Army Corps
of Engineers that validates the need to increase the air clearance from
151 feet to at least 215 feet, which is the available air clearance
under the Bridge of the Americas on the Panama Canal; and
WHEREAS, It is important to develop an engineering and funding
solution to the impasse at the Bayonne Bridge in time to seek funding
support from available federal transportation funding programs; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to urge the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to formulate an engineering
solution to the impasse at the Bayonne Bridge, and a funding plan to
support the engineering solution, in time to seek funding support from
available federal transportation funding programs; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable David A. Paterson, Governor of the State of New
York; The Honorable Chris Christie, Governor of the State of New Jersey;
the Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey; and to each member of the Congressional delegation from the
State of New York.