Critics Slam Cuomo Plan To Light Bridges As Subways Crumble

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NEW YORK CITY, NY – The subway system may be a mess this summer, but at least Gov. Andrew Cuomo is planning pretty light displays for bridges and tunnels.

His plans to illuminate the MTA’s seven bridges and two tunnels, along with the George Washington Bridge which is run by the Port Authority, have come under criticism as the MTA struggles to fund the subway system.

Earlier this year, the estimated price tag of the lighting program was $350 million, according to Politico New York.

On Wednesday, the governor’s office disputed the figure – though it declined to provide a different estimate – and said the MTA would not be paying for the lights.

“This is definitively NOT being paid for by the MTA,” Cuomo spokesman Jon Weinstein told Politico. “It will be financed by [the New York Power Authority] and parts of the project could likely be funded by [Empire State Development].”

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Both the MTA and the New York Power Authority are controlled by the governor.

Whichever body ultimately pays for the lights, which Cuomo previously described as “a great tourist attraction,” critics say the money should be spent on the subway system, instead.

"We do not have the luxury to apply any of our limited funding to any cosmetic improvements or changes," MTA board member Veronica Vanterpool told Politico. "If it’s not related to state of good repair, if it’s not related to safety, if it’s not related to structural repairs, it needs to fall to the bottom of a long list of priorities."

At a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized the idea of lighting the bridges.

“I can tell you that people who ride the subway are not interested in a light show,” NY1’s Grace Rauh quoted him as saying.

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Lead image of George Washington Bridge by Getty Images.