The Rev. Al Sharpton can now add transportation commissioner to his growing list of city titles.
On Friday, he suggested the Verrazano Bridge might not be a good spot for his planned march to protest Eric Garner’s death while resisting arrest. That’s more than city officials have been willing to say.
The plan has sparked outrage over traffic and safety concerns. But neither de jure Mayor de Blasio, police boss Bill Bratton nor Gov. Cuomo has the guts to nix it. So Sharpton is deciding the issue himself: “If not the bridge, then fine,” he reportedly said. The pols must be relieved.
It was a bad idea from the start. The Verrazano closes only rarely, such as for the annual Marathon — as it’s a major roadway, and the only one that links Staten Island with the rest of Gotham.
OK’ing a march over the bridge also sets a precedent.
Bratton himself cites “significant safety issues” and a “very significant cost to prepare a bridge for a march.” Yet he punted the decision to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which reports to Cuomo. The MTA then passed it back: If City Hall wants the bridge closed, it said, “the MTA will be cooperative.”
Yet not until late Friday did de Blasio himself comment — and then only to note “very real logistical challenges with using the bridge” and that “the reverend acknowledged that.”
Sharpton was already serving as de facto police boss, having ordered changes at the NYPD after the Garner affair.
Now that he’s also de facto transportation commish — relieving de Blasio & Co. of the burden — we have one question: How much will it cost the city when Sharpton demands the mayor repay this favor?