Council to Vote to rename the Queensboro Bridge as the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge

March 23, 2011 – At today’s Stated Council meeting the members of the City Council will vote on legislation to rename the Queensboro Bridge as the “Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge,” in honor of former Mayor Edward I. Koch. The Council will also vote on several resolutions as well as its internal operating budget for FY 2012.

RENAMING THE QUEENSBORO BRIDGE
In celebration of former Mayor Ed Koch’s 86th birthday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a proposal to rename the Queensboro Bridge after New York City’s 105th mayor. The bridge lies within the boundaries of the congressional districts represented by Mayor Koch when he served in U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977, representing New York’s then 17th and 18th Congressional Districts.

“Ed Koch was the bridge that brought New York City back from the brink of bankruptcy to financial solvency. And many New Yorkers feel very close to him for that reason,”said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “The City Council is proud to pay tribute to Mayor Koch and his decades of public service with this timeless honor.”

Often referred to as the 59th Street Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge was opened to traffic on March 30, 1909. The bridge’s construction began in 1901, as a collaboration between bridge engineer Gustav Lindenthal and architect Henry Hornboste, with 75,000 tons of steel going into the original bridge and its approaches. The original cost of construction was approximately $18 million, including $4.6 million for land purchases. At the time of completion, it was the longest cantilever bridge in the United States. All sign replacements would be paid for with private donations raised through the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

RESOLUTIONS
The Council will vote on the following resolutions, which call on:

• NASA to retire a space shuttle to New York City at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
• Department of Homeland Security to extend the Temporary Protected Status designation of Haiti and eligible Haitians living in the United States, which is currently set to expire in July.
• New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to continue and expand the immigrant pardon board created by former Governor David Paterson.
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The Council will also vote on a resolution proclaiming solidarity with public workers in Wisconsin, Ohio, and in other states around the country

OPERATING BUDGET
The City Council will also vote on its FY 2012 internal operating budget.

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