Directs the Department of Transportation, the Bridge Authority, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the Thruway Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to each to conduct a study of certain bridges spanning bodies of water connected to deep water ports in the state to determine whether such bridges have the structural integrity to withstand an impact from large vessels such as cargo ships, oil tankers and cruise ships; requires a report and recommendations; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9216
IN SENATE
February 17, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT in relation to directing the department of transportation and
certain public authorities to study certain bridges spanning bodies of
water connected to deep water ports in the state to determine whether
such bridges have the structural integrity to withstand an impact from
a large vessel; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon
the expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. 1. The Department of Transportation, the Bridge Authority,
2 the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the Thruway Authority, and
3 the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as applicable, shall each
4 conduct a study to determine the ability of certain bridges in the state
5 to withstand an impact to the support structures of such bridges from
6 large ships, including but not limited to, cargo vessels, oil tankers,
7 and passenger ships. Upon the conclusion of each such study, the commis-
8 sioner and the public authorities shall each prepare and issue a compre-
9 hensive report of their study findings and recommendations for improve-
10 ments to each bridge, if any.
11 a. The Department of Transportation shall study the following bridges:
12 i. Dunn Memorial Bridge; and
13 ii. Patroon Island Bridge.
14 b. The Bridge Authority shall study the following bridges:
15 i. Bear Mountain Bridge;
16 ii. Newburgh-Beacon Bridge;
17 iii. Mid-Hudson Bridge;
18 iv. Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge;
19 v. Rip Van Winkle Bridge; and
20 vi. Walkway over the Hudson Pedestrian Bridge.
21 c. The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority shall study the follow-
22 ing bridges:
23 i. Bronx-Whitestone Bridge;
24 ii. Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03164-09-6
S. 9216 2
1 iii. Henry Hudson Bridge;
2 iv. Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge;
3 v. Robert F. Kennedy Bridge;
4 vi. Throgs Neck Bridge; and
5 vii. Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
6 d. The Thruway Authority shall study the following bridges:
7 i. Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge; and
8 ii. Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge.
9 e. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shall study the
10 following bridges:
11 i. George Washington Bridge;
12 ii. Bayonne Bridge;
13 iii. Goethals Bridge; and
14 iv. Outerbridge Crossing Bridge.
15 2. Each such study shall include, at a minimum, an evaluation of the
16 following for each bridge:
17 a. the age of the bridge;
18 b. the number and type of vessels traversing the waters below the
19 bridge annually;
20 c. the current condition of the bridge;
21 d. any known or newly discovered chronic issue or problem with the
22 bridge;
23 e. the type, size, and construction of the support structures of the
24 bridge;
25 f. the type, size and construction of any barriers surrounding the
26 base of the support structures of the bridge and the distance between
27 such surrounding structures and the water channels occupied by vessels;
28 g. the width between the support structures of the bridge;
29 h. the height of the bridge;
30 i. the topography near the bridge, including but not limited to, sand
31 bars, shallows, and cliffs;
32 j. the area a vessel may safely access during a maneuver to avoid the
33 bridge in the event of a loss of power or propulsion or other emergency;
34 and
35 k. any other matters the commissioner or public authorities, as appli-
36 cable, deem necessary.
37 § 2. The reports required by this act shall be submitted to the gover-
38 nor, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly,
39 the temporary president of the senate, and the minority leader of the
40 senate no later than January 1, 2028. Each report shall include the
41 findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the commissioner or public
42 authorities, as applicable. Each report shall also be published on the
43 website of the Department of Transportation, the Bridge Authority, the
44 Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the Thruway Authority, and the
45 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as applicable, no later than
46 one month after it is completed.
47 § 3. The commissioner and the public authorities, as applicable, may
48 consult with any additional entities such commissioner or public author-
49 ities, as applicable, deem necessary to conducting the studies required
50 by this act.
51 § 4. For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall have the
52 following meanings:
53 1. "Bridge Authority" shall mean the New York state bridge authority
54 created pursuant to section five hundred twenty-seven of the public
55 authorities law;
S. 9216 3
1 2. "Commissioner" shall mean the commissioner of transportation of the
2 state of New York;
3 3. "Department of Transportation" shall mean the department of trans-
4 portation of the state of New York;
5 4. "Metropolitan Transportation Authority" shall mean the corporation
6 created by section twelve hundred sixty-three of the public authorities
7 law;
8 5. "Port Authority of New York and New Jersey" shall mean that body
9 corporate and politic created pursuant to article three of chapter one
10 hundred fifty-four of the laws of nineteen hundred twenty-one, and
11 designated as "The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey" by such
12 chapter;
13 6. "Public Authorities" shall mean the Bridge Authority, the Tribor-
14 ough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the Thruway Authority, and the Port
15 Authority of New York and New Jersey;
16 7. "Thruway Authority" shall mean the New York state thruway authori-
17 ty, a body corporate and politic constituting a public corporation
18 created and constituted pursuant to title nine of article two of the
19 public authorities law; and
20 8. "Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority" shall mean the corporation
21 organized pursuant to section five hundred fifty-two of the public
22 authorities law.
23 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
24 deemed repealed April 1, 2028; provided, however, that the port authori-
25 ty of New York and New Jersey shall not be subject to the provisions of
26 this act until the date of enactment into law by the state of New
27 Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this act, but if
28 the state of New Jersey shall have already enacted such legislation the
29 provisions of this act shall apply to the port authority of New York and
30 New Jersey immediately; and provided further, that the executive direc-
31 tor of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shall notify the
32 legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of the enact-
33 ment of the legislation provided for in this act in order that the
34 commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of
35 the official text of laws of the state of New York in furtherance of
36 effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and
37 section 70-b of the public officers law.
