Friday, December 30, 2016

Odd, but interesting: Cityscape, Staten Island, Bayonne Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty Video by Alisa Karter on Youtube

Pinterest: "Cityscape, Staten Island, Bayonne Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty"

Port Authority to step up security at Staten Island bridges over holiday weekend

SILive.com: "There will be increased anti-terrorism patrols and commercial vehicle inspections at Port Authority tunnel and bridge crossings, which include the Outerbridge, Goethals and Bayonne bridges, the Port Authority said."

Bayonne Bridge closures resume Tuesday

SILive.com: "The Bayonne Bridge will remain open around-the-clock until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3."

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Big new tugboats coming in 2017

WorkBoat: "The new tugs will be McAllister’s first to meet the stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 air emission standards for higher horsepower vessels. After the completion of a $1.3 billion project to raise the Bayonne Bridge over the Kill Van Kull channel, the tugs will be taking those ships under it to Port Newark on the New Jersey side of the harbor."


Verrazano lane closures show MTA just doesn't care (commentary)

SILive.com: "It almost seems futile to complain. Because what has complaining gotten us in the past? Nothing. Entities like the MTA and Department of Transportation, both city and state, probably figure that when it comes to anything related to traffic, Staten Islanders are just going to complain anyway, so why should we listen to what they have to say? Let's just do whatever we need to do. Here's why they should listen: Because we're the ones paying the freight. Particularly when it comes to the Verrazano, the toll money from which is used to subsidize the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North. And because we're the ones who are vitally dependent on the Verrazano, like we're vitally dependent on the other three Staten Island spans. After all, we are an island. There's no other way for us to drive off the borough. It's not like this everywhere. In a show of motorist consideration, the project to raise the Bayonne Bridge is being suspended so the bridge can stay open around the clock this holiday season."

How does an N.J. driver get a discount on Staten Island bridges?

NJ.com: "Generally, you would be out of luck if you're using a New York MTA run bridge, such as the Verrazano Bridge, to and from Staten Island. But the Outerbridge is run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which offers a commuter discount for its Staten Island crossings, which include the Outerbridge Crossing, the Goethals Bridge and the Bayonne Bridge. GOT QUESTIONS? Ticked off about mass transit? Wondering about road construction? E-mail your questions to NJ.com's transportation expert Larry Higgs. He'll answer your questions on Tuesdays and Thursdays on NJ.com. You can also Tweet @CommutingLarr are in luck. Drivers who sign up for the agency's Staten Island bridges plan get a 50 percent discount off the E-Z-Pass rate of $12.50 which comes to $6.25 per trip. Drivers have to make a minimum of three Staten Island-bound trips a month to qualify for the plan."

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Bayonne The Year In Review

Hudson Reporter: "Parks in Bayonne are steadily being renovated to meet a growing public demand for open space. Dog walkers, seniors taking their constitutionals, joggers, and anyone who loves great views of the bridge and the waterfront are proving the value of city parks. Skateboarders and BMX bikers were ecstatic when the city opened the 1st Street Skate Park next to the Bayonne Bridge. The all-cement park was dedicated in September to Tyler Sellers, a 20-year-old who died crossing Route 440."

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Staten Island Staffers: A Bridge to a Happier Holiday |

PANYNJ: "Each year, the Port Authority’s Staten Island Bridges staff members – those who ensure safe operations at the Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing – mobilize as a single unit to raise the spirits of those less fortunate during the holiday season through the Giving Tree."

Friday, December 23, 2016

Inside Port Authority's lab that tests concrete strength, durability

NJ.com: "To many it may seem that laying concrete on a roadway is one of the final steps to big construction projects like the raising of the Bayonne Bridge, but for Port Authority's Materials Engineering Unit lab, it's just the beginning of a series of tests that ensure the concrete is safe and durable."

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Bayonne Bridge to remain open around-the-clock until Jan. 3

SILive.com: "The Bayonne Bridge will remain open from 5 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, around-the-clock until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3."

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

NY-NJ port loses East Coast share amid congestion concerns

JOC.com: "The port has also invested heavily to bring on-dock or near-dock railway to the port’s five biggest terminals and to dredge its channels to 50 feet. Late in 2017, the authority expects to complete the raising of the Bayonne Bridge’s 151-foot vertical clearance to 215, feet, allowing larger ships to fit under it. The present low elevation means that at present most ships larger than 10,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units, and many smaller vessels, can get to only one of the port’s terminals."

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Will Trump live up to his infrastructure promises?

The Olympian: "In this Nov. 15, 2016, file photo, a worker lifts materials as construction continues on the new roadway deck of the Bayonne Bridge in Bayonne, N.J. Even as they maneuver for a share of the $1 trillion in spending President-elect Donald Trump promised to rebuild America’s roads, bridges and airports, lobbyists for transportation and utility industries are beginning to wonder whether Trump really meant what he said. From the day he formally entered the presidential race to the moment he declared victory, Trump pledged to rebuild the nation’s aging and inadequate infrastructure. Mel Evans, File AP Photo"


Sunday, December 18, 2016

New York City issues hazardous travel advisory as storm brings snow, rain

abc7ny.com: "Due to the weather conditions, all lanes of the Bayonne Bridge were closed in both directions in Staten Island."

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Bayonne Bridge reopened following snow, ice removal

SILive.com: "The Bayonne Bridge, which was supposed to be closed until 8 a.m. Saturday to accommodate ongoing construction, remained shut for more than an hour more due to ice and snow removal, the Port Authority said. The bridge was scheduled to be closed from 11:59 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Saturday as part of the "Raise the Roadway" project. However, all lanes in both directions remained closed until shortly after 9 a.m. due to weather conditions, according to an alert from New York City."

Friday, December 16, 2016

Bayonne Bridge Raise The Roadway Pictures

From SILive: 60 Pictures

Bayonne Bridge to close Friday night, reopen Saturday morning

SILive.com: "The Port Authority will close the bridge Friday at 11:59 p.m. and it will remain closed until Saturday at 8 a.m. to accommodate ongoing construction as part of the "Raise the Roadway" project."

Friday, December 9, 2016

Award recipients at Industry Luncheon held on December 5, 2016 in Newark, NJ

AJOT.COM: "The New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association received the Lifetime Achievement Award for its dedication to the safety and efficiency of the harbor operated in the Port of New York and New Jersey. The award was presented by Carmine Ragucci, a senior NY Pilot commissioner. “It’s an honor to have our 300-year history of contributions to the maritime industry now recognized by CII with this Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Captain Richard Schoenlank, president, New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association, who accepted the honor with Captain John DeCruz, President, New York Sandy Hook Pilots Association. “For three centuries, our highly skilled pilots have devoted their careers to providing safe passage through the Port of New York and New Jersey. And looking to the future, I am confident that we are prepared for the challenges that lie ahead,” said Captain Schoenlank, referring to the raising of the Bayonne Bridge that will allow for mega-carriers to call at the port."

Bayonne Bridge to close Friday night, reopen Saturday morning

SILive.com: "The Port Authority will close the bridge Friday at 11:59 p.m. and it will remain closed until Saturday at 8 a.m. to accommodate ongoing construction of the "Raise the Roadway" project."

NY/NJ: Port Authority Adopts 2017 Budget

AviationPros.com: "Highlights of the 2017 Capital Budget: $887 million for investment in tunnel, bridge and terminal facilities, including the ongoing Bayonne Bridge project, the new Goethals Bridge, planning funds to begin the process of building a new Port Authority Bus Terminal, and major state-of-good repair projects at the George Washington Bridge."

The national infrastructure dilemma

Washington Times: "Raising the Bayonne Bridge roadway, a project with virtually no environmental impact, required a 10,000-page environmental assessment and another 10,000 pages of permitting and regulatory materials."


Saturday, December 3, 2016

FMC Doyle remarks for North American Ports Association

AJOT.COM: "In New York and New Jersey, work continues on raising the Bayonne Bridge’s clearance from 151 feet to 211 feet. The Port Authority reports that vehicles will begin using the new upper roadway deck by mid-2017 with larger ships being able to pass under the bridge by late 2017. Additionally, a $2.1 billion project to dredge the harbor to 50 feet was completed last month. Capacity and efficiency gains will also be made from a $1.6 million grant from MARAD to improve the Port’s barge program and to create the first-of-its-kind New York Harbor Crane Operators Training Center."

Friday, December 2, 2016

Cashless tolls will come with stiff penalties for drivers who don't pay

SILive.com: "The Port Authority recently announced that when the new roadway opens next year, the Bayonne Bridge will become an all-electronic tolling (AET) facility. In addition, all MTA facilities plan on going cashless during 2017, starting with the tunnels at the beginning of the year, as part of a project announced in October by Gov. Andrew Cuomo."

Bayonne Bridge Weekend Schedule

Bayonne Bridge: The bridge will be closed from Friday, December 2, 11:59 p.m. around-the-clock until 8 a.m. Sunday, December 4.