LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 131st Anniversary of the Brook-
lyn Bridge on May 24, 2014

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to support the preser-
vation and commemoration of historical landmarks which express and
preserve the social and cultural origins of this great State of New
York; and
WHEREAS, Uniting the maze of 19th century brick and frame residences,
factories and warehouses of the Brooklyn shore to the modern skyscraper
district of lower Manhattan, the majestic highway known as the Brooklyn
Bridge opened to traffic on May 24, 1883; 131 years later, the Brooklyn
Bridge continues to retain its place as the most picturesque of the 61
spans that bind New York into a world metropolis and a timeless inspira-
tion for artists, writers and photographers; and
WHEREAS, It is with great pride that this Legislative Body commem-
orates the 131st Anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, May 24,
2014; the graceful sweep of its span is supported by a delicate web of
steel cables fixed on soaring Gothic stone arches; in this structure, as
in no other, one sees a growing America's reach towards the future and
its exploration of expansionism through invention, transcending its
European roots to become an American icon of national inspiration; and
WHEREAS, David Bernard Steinman would tell his fellow newsboys, "some-
day I am going to build bridges like that famous structure towering
above us"; although his friends may have laughed then, that young man
went on to become the nation's preeminent bridge designer/engineer and
leading expert on the aerodynamics of suspension bridges, designing 400
bridges around the world, including the Brooklyn Bridge; and
WHEREAS, Its builders, John, Emily and Washington Roebling were heroic
figures; having been so moved by the personal tragedy, history and engi-
neering innovations and consumed by the building of the Brooklyn Bridge,
in 1945 David B. Steinman published THE BUILDERS OF THE BRIDGE: THE
STORY OF JOHN ROEBLING AND HIS SON; and
WHEREAS, To artists and architects alike, the design of the Brooklyn
Bridge evokes a balanced display of conflicting forces, simple yet
complex, elegant yet bold, substantial yet buoyant; in fact, at the
opening ceremony, the Bridge was described as: 'this alluring roadway,
resting on towers which rise like those of ancient cathedrals, lacework
of threads interweaving their separate delicate strengths into the
complex solidity of the whole"; and
WHEREAS, In 1945, David Steinman's childhood dream became reality when
he was hired by the City of New York to oversee the rehabilitation of
the Brooklyn Bridge; the comprehensive reconstruction project took place
between 1944 and 1954 and entailed strengthening the inner and outer
trusses, installing new horizontal stays between the four main cables,
removing the railroad and trolley tracks, widening the roadways from two
to three lanes in each direction and constructing new approach ramps;
and
WHEREAS, Today, the Brooklyn Bridge accommodates six lanes of automo-
bile traffic carrying approximately 145,000 vehicles per day with a
separate walkway along the centerline for pedestrians and bicycles; and
WHEREAS The Brooklyn Bridge received its designation as a National
Historic Landmark in 1964 and on its 100th Anniversary, the American
Society of Civil Engineers designated the Bridge a National Historic
Civil Engineering Landmark; and
WHEREAS, The construction of a building, in its historical perspec-
tive, symbolizes the will, the circumstances and the resolve of a people
and a community; and

WHEREAS; In recognition of the Brooklyn Bridge's rich history and
enduring contribution to the heritage of the State of New York, it is
the intent of this Legislative Body to join in the celebration of its
131st Anniversary so that present and future generations may come to
appreciate the unique significance which its history plays in the
progression of our State and Nation's evolution; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 131st Anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge on May 24,
2014, as well as recognize its significant history, its innovative engi-
neering achievements and its dynamic symbolism of America's westward
march; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Marty Markowitz, President of the Borough of
Brooklyn.