A wave of relief is crashing over Fire Island: The state just approved a $1.7 billion budget to make sure New Yorkers' favorite summer escape doesn't slip beneath the surf. The barrier island, a 32-mile-long ribbon of sand that draws more than 2 million visitors each year, has been shrinking fast. In recent winters, nor'easters chewed away so much shoreline that high tides lapped frighteningly close to houses in the Pines and Cherry Grove. For locals and weekenders alike, it felt like paradise was one storm away from being swallowed whole.
According to the Cape Cod Commission, the regional planning, economic development, and regulatory agency, the 90-year-old bridges are considered "functionally obsolete," with narrow roadways, unsafe pedestrian access, and aging infrastructure. As the only connection to the mainland, the bridges are essential infrastructure for the more than 200,000 year-round Cape residents and the 50,000 daily commuters who rely on them. The federal government owns the bridges, but under an agreement with Massachusetts officials, the state will take over operations after they are rebuilt.
"It's becoming a hallmark of Trump's presidency," said Bonta. "Trampling over the separation of power, sidelining a Congress led by Trump's own party, violating the Constitution and putting the American people in harm's way."
The SF Parks Alliance collapse left the Port of San Francisco responsible for $1.9 million in Crane Cove Park construction costs intended to be covered by the Alliance.
