Staten Island, NY – In the wake of the tragic incident involving a Mexican Navy vessel striking the Brooklyn Bridge, Assemblyman Charles D. Fall (D–Richmond, New York, Kings) is renewing his call for comprehensive action to improve both the structural and operational safety of New York’s bridges.

“Yesterday’s collision is a devastating reminder that the safety of our bridges relies not only on sound engineering, but also on clear communication and coordination with maritime traffic,” said Assemblyman Fall. “Preventing tragedies like this means doing both.”

In March 2024, following the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore, Assemblyman Fall formally called on Governor Hochul to conduct a full safety review of Staten Island’s major bridges – urging a thorough evaluation of both structural integrity and maritime communication protocols. Yesterday’s events now underscore just how urgent that call was.

“Our bridges are essential to public safety, regional commerce, and daily life,” said Fall. “We must treat them with the same seriousness we bring to other critical infrastructure – because the risks are real, and the consequences, as we’ve seen, can be fatal.”

“This is about preventing the next tragedy. We can’t afford to treat incidents like this as isolated. The systems that protect our bridges must be as strong as the structures themselves. New Yorkers deserve nothing less.”