History
Originally named the Triborough Bridge Authority, the authority was created in 1933 as a public-benefit corporation by the New York State Legislature. It was tasked with completing construction of the Triborough Bridge, which had been started by New York City in 1929 but had stalled due to the Great Depression.
Under the chairmanship of Robert Moses, the agency grew in a series of mergers with four other agencies:
- Henry Hudson Parkway Authority, in 1940
- Marine Parkway Authority, in 1940
- New York City Parkway Authority, in 1940
- New York City City Tunnel Authority, in 1946
With the last merger in 1946, the authority was renamed the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.
Generating millions of dollars in toll revenue annually, the TBTA easily became a powerful city agency as it was capable of funding large capital projects. From the 1940s-60s, the TBTA built the Battery Parking Garage, Jacob Riis Beach Parking Field, Coliseum Office Building and Exposition Center and East Side Airlines Terminal, as well as many parks in the city.
Read more about this topic: MTA Bridges And Tunnels
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