N.Y. Public Authorities Law § 528: Powers of the authority

§ 528. Powers of the authority. The authority shall have power

1. To acquire, hold and dispose of personal property for its corporate

purposes;

1-a. To hold in the name of the state any real property acquired for

its corporate purposes and, with the approval of the commissioner, to

sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any real property or

rights or easements therein, heretofore or hereafter acquired pursuant

to the "state bridge authority act", determined by it to be not

necessary for its corporate purposes, and shall accept ownership of the

walkway over the Hudson bridge in the name of the state, and acquire

such incidental roads, approaches, structures and facilities as may be

necessary.

1-b. To accept from any person gifts of money or property for its

corporate purposes.

2. To make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs;

3. With the consent of the commissioner to use the agents, employees

and facilities of the department, paying its proper proportion of the

compensation and expenses of such agents and employees and of the cost

of such facilities;

4. To appoint officers, agents and employees and fix their

compensation; subject, however, to the provisions of the civil service

law, which shall apply to the authority as a municipal corporation other

than a city;

5. To make contracts, and to execute all instruments necessary or

convenient;

6. To conduct a study regarding traffic congestion and capacity needs

in and around the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson bridge and to

make recommendations concerning reasonable alternatives designed to

alleviate any known capacity deficiencies in and around such bridge.

Such study shall include, but is not limited to an investigation to

determine whether it is in the public interest to construct a new bridge

over the Hudson river at or near the city of Poughkeepsie and in

connection therewith to contract with engineers, surveyors, contractors

and others for environmental review, preliminary plans, borings, surveys

and estimates of cost, and if the authority by resolution, and the

commissioner in writing filed with the authority, shall determine that

the construction of such bridge is in the public interest, to construct

such bridge at a location approved by the commissioner, on lands of the

state of New York or lands to be acquired in the name of the state of

New York as hereinafter provided, together with incidental roads,

approaches, structures and facilities, subject to such consents and

approval of federal authorities in any case as may be necessary.

7. To maintain, reconstruct, and operate the bridges so long as its

corporate existence shall continue;

8. To charge tolls for the use of the bridges, with the exception of

the walkway over the Hudson bridge, subject to and in accordance with

such agreements with bondholders and noteholders as may be made as

hereinafter provided, except, however, that subject to such agreements

the rates of tolls charged on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson

bridge, the Kingston Rhinecliff bridge, the Bear Mountain bridge, the

Rip Van Winkle bridge, and the Hamilton Fish Newburgh-Beacon bridge

shall be the same.

9. To construct and maintain over, or along the bridges, or either of

them, telephone, telegraph or electric wires and cables, gas mains,

water mains, and other mechanical equipment not inconsistent with the

use of the bridges for vehicular traffic, to contract for such

construction and to lease the right to construct and/or use the same on

such terms and for such considerations as it shall determine, provided,

however, that no lease shall be made for a period of more than ten years

from the date when it is made;

10. To construct and maintain facilities for the public, not

inconsistent with the appropriate use of the bridges, to contract for

such construction, and to lease the right to construct and/or use such

facilities on such terms and for such considerations as it shall

determine, provided, however, that no lease shall be made for a period

of more than ten years from the date when it is made;

10-a. Subject to the approval of the commissioner, to construct,

reconstruct and improve highway connections to any of the bridges; the

construction to be under the supervision and control of the commissioner

as agent of the authority. Upon completion thereof, jurisdiction of such

connections to be transferred by the authority to the commissioner who

shall thereafter maintain such connections in the same manner as other

highways maintained by the state;

10-b. To contribute and pay over such amount as the authority shall

determine to any city for such city's share of the cost, including

damages and expenses, to be borne by or charged against such city for

the acquisition of real property acquired by the state within such city

for state highways connecting with any of the bridges and approaches

situated within a radius of one mile from the nearest bridge abutment.

11. To issue negotiable bonds and notes and to provide for the rights

of the holders thereof;

12. To enter on any lands, waters and premises for the purpose of

making surveys, soundings and examinations;

13. To advertise the facilities and advantages of the bridges;

14. To appoint or designate one or more persons for the purpose of

enforcing law, order and the observance of the rules and regulations

established by the authority. Each person as and when so appointed or

designated may, during the term of such appointment or designation be

uniformed and shall be known as a "New York state bridge authority

patrolman" and shall be a police officer as defined by paragraph (e) of

subdivision thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law

and shall have, within the limits of the cities, towns and villages

within which any part of a bridge, or any ferry property, operated by

the authority shall be located, all the powers of a constable, marshal,

police constable or police officer of a city, town or village in the

execution of criminal processes; and criminal process issued by any

court or magistrate of a county, town, city or village within which any

part of a bridge or any ferry property operated by the authority shall

be located, may be directed to and executed by any such patrolman

notwithstanding the provisions of any local or special act, ordinance or

regulation.

15. To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers

expressly given in this title.

16. To accept grants, loans or contributions from the United States of

America, the state of New York, or any agency or instrumentality of

either of them and, subject to any agreement with bondholders or

noteholders, to enter into contracts and to execute all instruments

necessary or convenient or desirable in connection therewith, including,

its bonds, notes or other obligation evidencing any such loan from the

United States of America, the state of New York or any agency or

instrumentality of either of them.

17. To enter into a lease or operating agreement, for a period not to

exceed ninety-nine years, with the office of parks, recreation and

historic preservation for all or a portion of the walkway over the

Hudson bridge for the purpose of a state park. Such agreement may assign

or allocate responsibility for the construction, operation, maintenance,

replacement and management of the deck and approaches and structures

providing public access to the state park, but the authority shall

retain responsibility for maintaining the superstructure of the walkway

over the Hudson bridge. The office of parks, recreation and historic

preservation is authorized to enter into such agreement, which may

include the installation and maintenance by the office of parks,

recreation and historic preservation of any personal property and

equipment used in connection therewith. The office of parks, recreation

and historic preservation shall propose in its annual budget an amount

for all costs and obligations under such agreement and these costs may

be supplemented by private donations.