BILL NUMBER: S6952

SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of
the state highway system as the "Port Authority Police Officers Arthur
M. Ansert Jr. and William J. Leahy Memorial Bridge"

 
PURPOSE:

An act to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of
the state highway system as the "Port Authority Police Officers Arthur
M. Ansert Jr. and William J. Leahy Memorial Bridge"

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 344-p to
read as follows:

Section 344-p. Portion of the state highway system to be designated as
the "Port Authority Police Officers Arthur M. Ansert Jr. and William J.
              

Leahy Memorial Bridge". All that portion of the state highway system
constituting the bridge on the South Service Road, between Federal
Circle and the Perimeter Road Overpass, crossing over the Van Wyck
Expressway in the neighborhood of Jamaica, county of Queens, shall be
designated and known as the "Port Authority Police Officers Arthur M.
Ansert Jr. and William J. Leahy Memorial Bridge"

Section 2. The commissioner of transportation, in consultation with the
executive director of the port authority of New York and New Jersey,
shall provide for the installation and maintenance of adequate signing
of the state highway system as designated pursuant to section one of
this act. However, to avoid confusion and to limit any possible
disruption of commerce, the designation called for pursuant to section
one of this act shall be one of ceremonial nature and the official name
of such bridge shall not be changed as a result of this act.

Section 3.. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Port Authority Police Officer Arthur M. Ansert Jr. was struck and killed
by a drunk driver at the age of 25 on October 8 1973 while conducting a
traffic stop on the Van Wyck Expressway several feet from the proposed
memorial bridge. Officer Ansert was a U.S. Navy veteran and served with
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department for one
year. He is survived by his wife, parents, brother, and two sisters.

Port Authority Police Officer Police Officer William J. Leahy died at
the age of 49 as the result of cancer that he developed following his
assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center
site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. Officer Leahy, a 26-year
member of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Depart-
ment and was assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport. He is
survived by loving mother Kathleen and Father William.

Both these officers' names are memorialized at the National Law Enforce-
ment Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the New York State Police Memori-
al in Albany. The Port Authority PBA, Officer Ansert and Leahy's former
union, seeks to see them eternally remembered at this most important
location by renaming a portion of the New York State highway system in
their honor.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

The bridge is under the jurisdiction of City and State DOT for oper-
ations and maintenance.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.