Thanks to DealDash for sponsoring this video! Visit dealdash.com/ItsHistory and use promo code ITSHISTORY to get 100 free bids with your first bid-pack purchase-that’s $10 worth of free bids!
Does it not seem stupid to anyone else that you have to PAY for bids on that site when you don't with eBay? Maybe I missed something when I skipped through the plug.
Deal Dash is essentially a gambling site. Many gambling addicts in that site. I would never recommend anyone to join unless I had no problem recommending gambling. I hope none of your subscribers/viewers sign up to DD and get hooked and bankrupted.
I watched the construction of that bridge as a young kid, I feel a connection to it. However, I remember being disappointed that the Brooklyn to Staten Island ferry was discontinued. The bridge is more than just about just connecting Staten Island to the rest of New York City, it’s also throughfare to New Jersey. There still is a ferry from SI to lower Manhattan (it’s free for pedestrians)
It sounded like you were implying that the Holland Tunnel and the Goethals brige were compleated after the Varranzzano Bridge. Plans for a fixed vehicular crossing over the Hudson River were first devised in 1906. However, disagreements prolonged the planning process until 1919, when it was decided to build a tunnel under the river. Construction of the Holland Tunnel started in 1920, and it opened in 1927 The Goethals Bridge is the name of a pair of cable-stayed bridge spans connecting Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Staten Island, New York, in the United States. The spans cross a strait known as Arthur Kill, and replaced a cantilever bridge span built in 1928. The bridge is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The Staten Island Ferry did not “stop running” due to the bridge’s popularity. It still runs today. The 69th Street Ferry between Brooklyn and Staten Island ended service the day after the bridge opened as planned since it became instantly redundant.
They really should bring that ferry service back. There is very high demand for it based on how much traffic I see on the bridge all day long and how crowded the Bay Ridge buses to Staten Island are
I was a teenager when the bridge was opened. My grandparents lived in Bay Ridge. I'd go down there with my grandpa when it was being built. Some years later I ran across it during the NYC Marathon.
My GF's grandparents were among the first to drive over the bridge when it opened in the '60s. They had just moved from Brooklyn to Central Jersey and it made it much easier to visit family still in the city. It's also my favorite part of the annual 5 Boro Bike Tour, but my least favorite when driving over (the toll is outrageous).
The R Train Line on 4th Avenue also extends past the last station on 95th Street, and I remember reading that there were plans to extend it to Staten Island at some point.
Wait a minute the Goethals bridge and HollandTunnel we’re both built 35 years earlier. What the heck were you trying to say? Maybe you meant the turnpike extension the Newark Bay bridge and exit 13?
2:20. Its not called the "Outer" Crossing. Its called the Outerbridge Crossing, and it is named after Eugenius Outerbtidge, the first President of the Port Authority. It is NOT named for where or what it is. (The term "bridge crossing" would be redundant) A simple google search would've made that clear.
@@42luke93 if you go to the 2:20 mark, the narrator calls it the "Outer Crossing." It should be the "Outerbridge Crossing." The bridge is named after Eugenius Outerbridge, a person. I think that the writers didn't do their homework.
I had a great view of bridge from my past home is Stapleton Heights. You can get a spectacular view from either side. You can visit Fort Wadsworth historic grounds on Staten Island side or Belt parkway (Shore Road Park) Brooklyn side. They both have such a close up to the immense size and beauty of this magnificent structure sitting at the mouth of the Hudson River. You look one way and it's the Atlantic Ocean and the other way the magnificent Hudson River. PS It was reported that my childhood friends' father was the first motorcyclist to cross the Verrazano Narrows. He road an Indian Motorcycle and his last name was Fagone. I did actually see a picture (I think newspaper pic) of him doing it, but never was able to officially confirm it. Thank you. Very well done. Thanks for posting
I grew up in Coney Island which is not far from Bay Ridge and I had a great view of this beautiful bridge from my house, actually if u lived anywhere around there in neighborhoods like Coney Island, Sunset Park, parts of Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, Red Hook, Gawanus the bridge is so big it dominates the landscape u can see it easily its especially beautiful at night with the lights on. It's definitely my absolute favorite bridge in NYC
My dad grew up in Rosebank in SI on the other side. Found some pictures he took of this bridge under construction and several newspaper articles he saved.
Being 75yo and growing up in Brighton Beach Brooklyn I saw the bridge being built. Prior to the bridge my family would take the ferry with car to visit relatives in SI. The ferry still runs from SI to lower manhattan. It’s a fun ride. Big mistake was not having a rail line on the bridge.
I live in New Jersey raised in Brooklyn and travel to visit family in Brooklyn traveling the Verrazano narrows bridge always amazed by the design ,length and view of Manhattan and Brooklyn very breath taking. Love your channel and love history keep up the good work
This bridge is the first 1.5 mile of the NYC Marathon. I got to run it one year and it was an amazing experience seeing 10K people on the bridge at one time.
2:21 That’s actually called “Outerbridge Crossing”, connecting Staten Island to New Jersey. And believe it or not, that name is actually the name of a man, E.H. Outerbridge, a Port Authority official at the time.
There's a lot of confusing information in this video. The Goethals Bridge and the Holland Tunnel opened before WW2 and what's "the Staten Island"? Also, if the other crossings caused a decrease in the usage of the VZ, how would that warrent adding six more lanes. Another interesting point that not many people know about is that the Brooklyn tower was built on an island that was once a military installation know as Fort Lafayette.
I thought I heard something about the Verrazano Bridge being available before the Holland Tunnel. Not true, the Holland Tunnel opened in 1927. That's long before the Verrazano.
The original vertical shafts constructed to begin excavating that tunnel to Staten Island are still viewable in Owls Head Park in Bay Ridge. They're covered with concrete slabs however.
Bet view of Manhattan is flying a helicopter down the Hudson right after sunset! The golden hour. City is lit up, but buildings reflecting the color of the sky.
To Nitpick: It's not the "Outer Crossing" It's the "Outerbridge Crossing" named for Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge. (Apparently the Outerbridge Bridge was a bridge too far)
Holland Tunnel's construction started in 1920, completed in 1927. The Lincoln Tunnel's first tube was completed and opened in 1937. Additional tubes of the Lincoln were opened in 1945 and 1957. Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel opened during the early 1950s.
I grew up on the south shore of Long Island and left to go to school in Philly, where I stayed for 36 years. I drove the bridge many many times over the years on my way up and back to visit my family. More than a few times I almost drove right through the toll gates since, unlike many other toll bridges, you had to wait for the physical gate to go up. I still think of that whenever i drove over it. 😄
It retained its record as the world's longest suspension bridge until 24th June 1981, when the UK's Humber Bridge, the southern end of which is less than 2 hours' drive from me, opened to traffic. It was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth 2nd on July 17th 1981. Currently, the suspension bridge across the Dardanelles Strait in Turkiye is the world's longest.
I'm just annoyed with the bridges that don't allow bike or pedestrian traffic over the bridges. They think everyone should own a car to drive over the bridges and that doesn't seem quite fair. I guess they're concerned about losing toll revenue or something. There should be a law forcing the bridge operators to allow foot and bike traffic on all NYC bridges. It's a pain to get to the Bronx by bike from Queens and there are two bridges that could be used. So annoying.
Its over a mile total length and the Staten Island side approach and toll complex are literally cut 200 feet down thru the granite with no place to even consider getting easy pedestrian access. The gang plank is also very steep, that tall arch isn't that remarkable until you're trying to nurse a bus with a blown turbo over the crest and unsure if you'll get over the hump. I know people who have run over it in the marathon and they say that its good that its in the beginning cause if that was mile 24 thered be a mob of runners unable to make it that last 10%...
It would've been miniscule cost compared to the cost of the entire project to include pedestrian and bicycle path. Better yet, include MTA rapid transit access
Goethals Bridge:1928 Outerbridge Crossing:1928 Bayonne Bridge:1931 What the Holland Tunnel has to do with it is beyond me - but it was built in 1927 The huge Bicentennial Flag didn't last 3 day - it was supposed to - it started ripping apart upon installation as it was made by a sail company and never factored in for wind.
Using the Bayonne Bridge to get to the Holland Tunnel is still the fastest way to drive to Manhattan from much of Staten Island. That is what the tunnel has to do with it.
So if you're driving east bound on the belt parkway, as you pass under the bridge and out to the other side. Look at the bridge light, they seem to turn on 1 by 1 just for you
But, the solution WASN'T a connection to the mainland. The bridge connect one island, Staten Island over to another island, not the mainland. That bridge connecting Staten Island to the mainland attaches Staten Island to New Jersey with the Outerborough Bridge named after Mr Outerborough. Verrazano Narrows bridge connects to the island called Long Island.
@@davidfrischknecht8261Thanx for clarifying - that's what I get for trusting the veracity of RUclips comments...(Even so, "Outerbridge" is a pretty cool coincidence.)
I always called the Verrazano Narrows Bridge New York's answer to The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Both are beautiful but I gotta admit, even though I grew up in New York, I'm partial to the Golden Gate.
The longest suspension bridge in North America is The Mackinaw straits bridge in Michigan. It's like 2 or 3 times longer than the VZ. The mackinaw bridge is 4 miles from shore to shore. 1.6 miles between cable anchors and a 3800' span. (versus 1 mile, 1.25 mile and 4200' respective). The VZ has a larger span between the towers, but that's the only part that's longer.
The main span between towers is how suspension bridge length is measured. The length of the side spans is not as significant and not used to compare lengths, nor are viaducts (which is most of that bridge’s length, similar to the Tappan Zee Bridge north or NYC). Little known fact- the Verrazzano surpassed the world’s longest at the time of its construction, the Golden Gate Bridge, by only 60 feet!😮
@@Redslayer86 Yeah viaducts don’t count. They aren’t suspended spans. Technically if you count viaducts the Verrazzano is almost as long as the Mackinac Bridge; it has a couple miles of approach viaducts over land in Staten Island and Brooklyn. The top 5 longest suspension spans in the US (and North America / the western hemisphere) are: 1. Verrazano 2. Golden Gate 3. Mackinac 4. George Washington 5. Tacoma Narrows
That's not a true SUSPENSION bridge. And that bridge is the 3rd longest in the country. If we counted the none SUSPENSION sides (viaducts) the bridge in Oakland, Cali would be the longest. Learn your facts.
I remember taking the first official bus over the bridge from Staten Island (turns out there were unofficial ones nearer the bridge) after taking the ferry across. If I remember right, there was an option to use the lower deck for trains, but it was never followed through with.
The lower deck was always planned for autos. The steep angle of the bridge approaches and distance from the BMT subway on 4th Avenue precluded any rail service over the bridge. For better or worse, in the early 1960s cars were the future of transit.
Yeah, new york. You sent me a toll charge when I didn't have the truck and turned in my old tag for the truck. When the tag showed up in new york on a dodge like the one I had. But the truck went to scrap because I'm the one to take it there. I'm also the one to turn in the tag for that truck. But new york send a toll charge to my old tag that I reside in Florida. Smh. 😅 Obviously I did not pay it but did contact the dmv here in Florida and new york. And I had proof it wasn't me because I drove semi at the time and had my log book that is federal regulation to prove I was not in new york at the time of picture. It blew my mind when I got new york mail in my Florida mailbox. Lol
Hi Brian Socash. I love your stuff, but you just made a mistake here. You called the Outerbridge Crossing, the Outerbridge. It’s not the Outer bridge. It’s the Outer Bridge Crossing. And it’s called that not because of its location… It was named after somebody named Peter Oouterbridge just wanted to let you know.
I recall that, in 1970. Staten Island had a semi-rural aspect to it, with frequent brush fires erupting. Because of the bridge, now it is a version of the borough of Queens,
Robert Mosses made sure the bridge was incapable of carrying subway tracks. He was a very petty man and very much anti-mass transit, since he felt it took away from his toll revenues.
@@joermnyc He never intended it for subways. But get this; He never really stopped any subways from being built. And the fact that buses are allowed there, and the MTA has buses using the bridge proves that the bridge does benefit mass transit, whether he wanted it or not, or whether you want to face it or not.
Goethals opened in June 29, 1928 and on that same day the Outercrossing also opened. (You show the outercrossing in the video but call it Goethals.) Holland Tunnel opened November 13, 1927. All well before the Verazzanno opened so there was never a decreased use, traffic only increased. 1986-2020 the toll was only collected outbound to speed up traffic. In 1970 the Outercrossing switched to only tolls for eastbound traffic (but double the fee). A lot of newbies would rekt themselves by entering Manhattan via the tunnel $17 toll, and at the end of the day taking the Verrazzano back to nj for another $20. ouch! You needed to to the opposite. Now with tolls both ways, and soon congestion tolls as well they really screw you....
The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge should be replaced with a more stylish steel truss one with an aluminum plating to give it a silvery look. I also want it to have 8 lanes of traffic, 2 pedestrian paths, & room for NYC Subway Trackage. All of these aren't featured in the existing bridge.
@@chiquita683 actually maintained by MTA which is not apart of the gov but a private company. But they are greedy with 7 bucks on the toll and charging toll by mail rate ($11) if u have any other ezpass agency execpt New York
Tilting the towers has nothing to do with the curvature of the Earth but was added to the design to balance the loading. The center span is much longer and heavier than the approach spans and so the towers were tilted to compensate for the uneven load. Imagine if your right arm was longer than your left arm, or if you carrying something in your right hand but nothing on the left. You would have to lean your body to left to compensate the imbalance.
@@NovusodAccording to numerous sources, it was to compensate for the curvature since each tower had to be plumb and not tilted. Each one is level with the ground. This is from the official MTA site: "Its monumental 693 foot high towers are 1 5/8 inches farther apart at their tops than at their bases because the 4,260 foot distance between them made it necessary to compensate for the earth's curvature." I can't post links here but I have several other sources that say the same thing. For example, it is in an article titled, "The History of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, 50 Years After Its Construction" in Smithsonian Magazine and the book "Six Bridges: The Legacy of Othmar H. Ammann" from Yale University Press.
@@larry4111 My source is a professor who told me the real reason in an engineering course I took in college. He had diagrams and math explaining it all.
I'm from South Dakota. Will the bridge cameras take a picture of my plate and send me a bill all the way back here? I wonder if, statistically, that serves as a deterrent for tourism.
It wasnt the Tacoma Bridge it was the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma. I had always heard people called it the tacoma bridge as more of an insult to the person who designed it
@@FlexHoliday Actually that's a good reason not to. Not everybody is a pro-level bike rider, or power walker, or marathon runner. Crossing the narrows on a bike would take longer than it would with a car, truck or bus.
Thanks to DealDash for sponsoring this video! Visit dealdash.com/ItsHistory and use promo code ITSHISTORY to get 100 free bids with your first bid-pack purchase-that’s $10 worth of free bids!
I know you need a sponsor, but don't set up your subscribers to get ripped off by deal dash .. . Do your homework
Does it not seem stupid to anyone else that you have to PAY for bids on that site when you don't with eBay? Maybe I missed something when I skipped through the plug.
Deal Dash is essentially a gambling site. Many gambling addicts in that site. I would never recommend anyone to join unless I had no problem recommending gambling. I hope none of your subscribers/viewers sign up to DD and get hooked and bankrupted.
I wouldn’t touch this place for anything!
@@TwitX2007We just got online gambling here in NC and the commercials are all over TV - like it’s the best thing since sliced bread! No thanks!
riding my bicycle over the Verrazano Bridge was incredible! Coming down after the climb, over the water, feels like flying!
The Five Boro Bike Tour 😎
I watched the construction of that bridge as a young kid, I feel a connection to it. However, I remember being disappointed that the Brooklyn to Staten Island ferry was discontinued. The bridge is more than just about just connecting Staten Island to the rest of New York City, it’s also throughfare to New Jersey. There still is a ferry from SI to lower Manhattan (it’s free for pedestrians)
It sounded like you were implying that the Holland Tunnel and the Goethals brige were compleated after the Varranzzano Bridge.
Plans for a fixed vehicular crossing over the Hudson River were first devised in 1906. However, disagreements prolonged the planning process until 1919, when it was decided to build a tunnel under the river. Construction of the Holland Tunnel started in 1920, and it opened in 1927
The Goethals Bridge is the name of a pair of cable-stayed bridge spans connecting Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Staten Island, New York, in the United States. The spans cross a strait known as Arthur Kill, and replaced a cantilever bridge span built in 1928. The bridge is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Another thing, the VZ does not go over the mouth of the Hudson River, it's over the entrance to the Upper Bay. The Hudson River starts at Manhattan.
As a one time Queens resident, I am happy that the iconic, historic Staten Island Ferries still exist.
My dad was one of the accountants during the construction of this bridge. Appreciate the video.
The Staten Island Ferry did not “stop running” due to the bridge’s popularity. It still runs today. The 69th Street Ferry between Brooklyn and Staten Island ended service the day after the bridge opened as planned since it became instantly redundant.
They really should bring that ferry service back. There is very high demand for it based on how much traffic I see on the bridge all day long and how crowded the Bay Ridge buses to Staten Island are
wdym? Ferry still running
This is insane timing. I just found a bunch of 8mm reels this afternoon my grandfather's cousin made during construction of the Verrazano Bridge.
Please publish that on RUclips
We moved from Brooklyn to SI when before the bridge! My favorite bridge ever ❤
I was a teenager when the bridge was opened. My grandparents lived in Bay Ridge. I'd go down there with my grandpa when it was being built. Some years later I ran across it during the NYC Marathon.
And the sign on the Belt just before getting on the bridge reads "Leaving Brooklyn - Fuhgeddaboudit"
Yep. Sure does. 🤣
My GF's grandparents were among the first to drive over the bridge when it opened in the '60s. They had just moved from Brooklyn to Central Jersey and it made it much easier to visit family still in the city. It's also my favorite part of the annual 5 Boro Bike Tour, but my least favorite when driving over (the toll is outrageous).
I was a boy when they were building the VN bridge. I remember driving back to New Jersey from Brooklyn and seeing those tall towers.
The R Train Line on 4th Avenue also extends past the last station on 95th Street, and I remember reading that there were plans to extend it to Staten Island at some point.
Wait a minute the Goethals bridge and HollandTunnel we’re both built 35 years earlier. What the heck were you trying to say? Maybe you meant the turnpike extension the Newark Bay bridge and exit 13?
2:20. Its not called the "Outer" Crossing. Its called the Outerbridge Crossing, and it is named after Eugenius Outerbtidge, the first President of the Port Authority. It is NOT named for where or what it is. (The term "bridge crossing" would be redundant)
A simple google search would've made that clear.
Funny. I do not confuse the gothals with it by remembering it is further "out". But now the gothels is completely different brand new.
@@42luke93 I'm sorry. I don't understand your reply. What does my comment have to do with the Goethals Bridge?
@@42luke93 if you go to the 2:20 mark, the narrator calls it the "Outer Crossing." It should be the "Outerbridge Crossing." The bridge is named after Eugenius Outerbridge, a person.
I think that the writers didn't do their homework.
@@nycchris8743 just forget it not worth my time
@@nycchris8743 but thank you for the information I didn’t know who it was name after.
I had a great view of bridge from my past home is Stapleton Heights. You can get a spectacular view from either side. You can visit Fort Wadsworth historic grounds on Staten Island side or Belt parkway (Shore Road Park) Brooklyn side. They both have such a close up to the immense size and beauty of this magnificent structure sitting at the mouth of the Hudson River. You look one way and it's the Atlantic Ocean and the other way the magnificent Hudson River.
PS It was reported that my childhood friends' father was the first motorcyclist to cross the Verrazano Narrows. He road an Indian Motorcycle and his last name was Fagone. I did actually see a picture (I think newspaper pic) of him doing it, but never was able to officially confirm it.
Thank you. Very well done. Thanks for posting
I grew up in Coney Island which is not far from Bay Ridge and I had a great view of this beautiful bridge from my house, actually if u lived anywhere around there in neighborhoods like Coney Island, Sunset Park, parts of Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, Red Hook, Gawanus the bridge is so big it dominates the landscape u can see it easily its especially beautiful at night with the lights on. It's definitely my absolute favorite bridge in NYC
Thanks for sharing!
My dad grew up in Rosebank in SI on the other side. Found some pictures he took of this bridge under construction and several newspaper articles he saved.
Being 75yo and growing up in Brighton Beach Brooklyn I saw the bridge being built. Prior to the bridge my family would take the ferry with car to visit relatives in SI. The ferry still runs from SI to lower manhattan. It’s a fun ride. Big mistake was not having a rail line on the bridge.
I live in New Jersey raised in Brooklyn and travel to visit family in Brooklyn traveling the Verrazano narrows bridge always amazed by the design ,length and view of Manhattan and Brooklyn very breath taking. Love your channel and love history keep up the good work
Very cool!
1 of my favorite bridges of all time in NYC Besides the brooklyn bridge
This bridge is the first 1.5 mile of the NYC Marathon. I got to run it one year and it was an amazing experience seeing 10K people on the bridge at one time.
It's part of the 5 Boro Bike Tour too. Very, very cool to ride over and then take the Staten Island Ferry back to Manhattan.
2:21 That’s actually called “Outerbridge Crossing”, connecting Staten Island to New Jersey. And believe it or not, that name is actually the name of a man, E.H. Outerbridge, a Port Authority official at the time.
That's why they called it a crossing instead of a bridge.
Not the Outer Crossing.
And not the "Outerbridge Bridge".@@RumchugMusic
@@davidfrischknecht8261 LOL true. Outerbridge Bridge would just confuse New Yorkers even more. 🤣
He was the FIRST Chairman of the, Port of New York Authority. (Back then)
There's a lot of confusing information in this video. The Goethals Bridge and the Holland Tunnel opened before WW2 and what's "the Staten Island"? Also, if the other crossings caused a decrease in the usage of the VZ, how would that warrent adding six more lanes. Another interesting point that not many people know about is that the Brooklyn tower was built on an island that was once a military installation know as Fort Lafayette.
I noticed this too.
I thought I heard something about the Verrazano Bridge being available before the Holland Tunnel. Not true, the Holland Tunnel opened in 1927. That's long before the Verrazano.
The original vertical shafts constructed to begin excavating that tunnel to Staten Island are still viewable in Owls Head Park in Bay Ridge. They're covered with concrete slabs however.
8:57 Ryan, be careful talking about the curvature of the earth, you'll get all those flat-earthers wound up! 😂
Back in the 80's I worked up in Long Island but lived in Maryland. I would got across that bridge twice each week.
south beach staten island has a great view of the verrazano
First trip to NYC was in the 90s, it was a must to cross this bridge. Now we do it every time. Hella nostalgia.
My very favorite bridge, road over it many times as a child. I miss it.
Famous Saturday Night Fever bridge - poor Bobby C
“The construction of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge was quickly followed by the Goethals Bridge”
????
Goethals opened in 1928.
This guy is clearly intelligent. I’m shocked that he made such a careless mistake.
The Goethals bridge opened in 1928 and the Holland Tunnel in 1927 respectively
Bah. Not even a word about the genius who designed the bridge: the Swiss engineer Othmar Ammann.
I know someone that did 130 mph over that bridge on a Saturday night heading back to Staten Island
Deal Dash? The worst rip off company still out there. And you are leading people to it.
Sorry but Ryan needs to eat.
Onc ei seen the ipad price i knew it was fishy
@@euchaleWeill let him eat cake.. Lol.. the singer who sang Margaritaville was living on sponge cake.
It’s essentially a gambling site
@@georgeplagianos6487 Jimmy Buffet died allegedly with a net worth of $1 billion dollars…seriously.
Thats a lot is sponge cake!
Indeed beautiful bridge. Proud American engineering
In effect, the bridge was designed by the Swiss engineer Othmar Ammann.
@@yopenzoproud Swiss engineering! Grateful for their help in designing this American landmark
FYI ,the spelling of Verrazano has been corrected . It has been misspelled all these years. It was named after Giovanni da Verrazzano.
I love history especially NY history
Great to know about this. I think the most remarkable view of Manhattan is from the bridge at night. I never knew the bridge was built so recently.
Bet view of Manhattan is flying a helicopter down the Hudson right after sunset! The golden hour. City is lit up, but buildings reflecting the color of the sky.
I definitely never realized there was a wire passed back and forth for 6 months to make a suspension bridge. Respect.
15:03. High quality photo!
To Nitpick: It's not the "Outer Crossing" It's the "Outerbridge Crossing" named for Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge. (Apparently the Outerbridge Bridge was a bridge too far)
I used to mistakenly believe that its name was due to its geographic location.
@@Leonard_Wilson Me too.
Thank you for today's lesson about N.Y. bridge, stay safe and be of good cheer...
Thank you too!
i have a newspaper from the day the bridge opened
Wasn't the holland tunnel constructed in the 20's or 30's?? They battery tunnel may have come after.
I caught that too...
Holland Tunnel's construction started in 1920, completed in 1927. The Lincoln Tunnel's first tube was completed and opened in 1937. Additional tubes of the Lincoln were opened in 1945 and 1957. Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel opened during the early 1950s.
@@rayfridley6649 Robert Moses wanted a third tunnel for the Queens-Midtown Tunnel too. It's a shame that was never built.
I grew up on the south shore of Long Island and left to go to school in Philly, where I stayed for 36 years. I drove the bridge many many times over the years on my way up and back to visit my family. More than a few times I almost drove right through the toll gates since, unlike many other toll bridges, you had to wait for the physical gate to go up. I still think of that whenever i drove over it. 😄
It retained its record as the world's longest suspension bridge until 24th June 1981, when the UK's Humber Bridge, the southern end of which is less than 2 hours' drive from me, opened to traffic. It was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth 2nd on July 17th 1981. Currently, the suspension bridge across the Dardanelles Strait in Turkiye is the world's longest.
The Mackinaw Bridge In Michigan is substantialy longer that the verrazano
@@gordonjones6436 is the third largest
All bridge lengths are the distance between the 2 towers
I'm just annoyed with the bridges that don't allow bike or pedestrian traffic over the bridges. They think everyone should own a car to drive over the bridges and that doesn't seem quite fair. I guess they're concerned about losing toll revenue or something. There should be a law forcing the bridge operators to allow foot and bike traffic on all NYC bridges. It's a pain to get to the Bronx by bike from Queens and there are two bridges that could be used. So annoying.
I think it’s the NY State DOT bridges that have bike access and the ones managed by the MTA do not. I totally agree
I agree
Its over a mile total length and the Staten Island side approach and toll complex are literally cut 200 feet down thru the granite with no place to even consider getting easy pedestrian access. The gang plank is also very steep, that tall arch isn't that remarkable until you're trying to nurse a bus with a blown turbo over the crest and unsure if you'll get over the hump. I know people who have run over it in the marathon and they say that its good that its in the beginning cause if that was mile 24 thered be a mob of runners unable to make it that last 10%...
Doesn’t the buses go over that bridge.
It would've been miniscule cost compared to the cost of the entire project to include pedestrian and bicycle path. Better yet, include MTA rapid transit access
Goethals Bridge:1928
Outerbridge Crossing:1928
Bayonne Bridge:1931
What the Holland Tunnel has to do with it is beyond me - but it was built in 1927
The huge Bicentennial Flag didn't last 3 day - it was supposed to - it started ripping apart upon installation as it was made by a sail company and never factored in for wind.
Using the Bayonne Bridge to get to the Holland Tunnel is still the fastest way to drive to Manhattan from much of Staten Island. That is what the tunnel has to do with it.
I went to college right over the bridge in staten island
Me too it was Staten Island community college
The Narrows Bridge was built without pedestrian walkways, yet thousands cross it by foot every year. How is this possible?
The nyc marathon!
@@JD_Walker Correctamundo!
As a Brooklynite myself, its SO ON BRAND these cheapskates wouldnt even pay to change a damn sign to correct an explorers name 🤣🤣
What about the Tappan Zee Bridge
I think they're implying NYC, not NY State. Technically, the Tappan Zee is not in NYC. But yeah I had the same thought.
Yes the Tappan Zee Bridge , that is it's proper name !!!!!!!!
What about it? It's not a SUSPENSION bridge.
@@frankcaurso1314 It's so respectful to honor Native Americans!
So if you're driving east bound on the belt parkway, as you pass under the bridge and out to the other side. Look at the bridge light, they seem to turn on 1 by 1 just for you
That is a beautiful bridge, especially at night. I've driven over it thousands of times. What about the Throgs Neck Bridge? That's nice too.
I lived under the bridge for four years!
But, the solution WASN'T a connection to the mainland. The bridge connect one island, Staten Island over to another island, not the mainland. That bridge connecting Staten Island to the mainland attaches Staten Island to New Jersey with the Outerborough Bridge named after Mr Outerborough.
Verrazano Narrows bridge connects to the island called Long Island.
Staten Island is connected to the mainland via three bridges: Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, and Outerbridge Crossing. All three are to New Jersey.
What are the odds of a bridge from the NYC outerborough of Staten Island to NJ named after a man *named* "Outerborough"!?😛
@@joestrike8537 It's not. It's named after a man named OuterBRIDGE.
@@davidfrischknecht8261Thanx for clarifying - that's what I get for trusting the veracity of RUclips comments...(Even so, "Outerbridge" is a pretty cool coincidence.)
What about the scene from Saturday Night Fever? The guys stop on the bridge, are swinging from the cables. and one guy falls to his death.
I always called the Verrazano Narrows Bridge New York's answer to The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Both are beautiful but I gotta admit, even though I grew up in New York, I'm partial to the Golden Gate.
The longest suspension bridge in North America is The Mackinaw straits bridge in Michigan. It's like 2 or 3 times longer than the VZ. The mackinaw bridge is 4 miles from shore to shore. 1.6 miles between cable anchors and a 3800' span.
(versus 1 mile, 1.25 mile and 4200' respective). The VZ has a larger span between the towers, but that's the only part that's longer.
The main span between towers is how suspension bridge length is measured. The length of the side spans is not as significant and not used to compare lengths, nor are viaducts (which is most of that bridge’s length, similar to the Tappan Zee Bridge north or NYC). Little known fact- the Verrazzano surpassed the world’s longest at the time of its construction, the Golden Gate Bridge, by only 60 feet!😮
@@jaymum23I was wondering how this was determined, because the Chesapeake bay bridge exists lol
@@Redslayer86 Yeah viaducts don’t count. They aren’t suspended spans. Technically if you count viaducts the Verrazzano is almost as long as the Mackinac Bridge; it has a couple miles of approach viaducts over land in Staten Island and Brooklyn. The top 5 longest suspension spans in the US (and North America / the western hemisphere) are:
1. Verrazano
2. Golden Gate
3. Mackinac
4. George Washington
5. Tacoma Narrows
That's not a true SUSPENSION bridge. And that bridge is the 3rd longest in the country. If we counted the none SUSPENSION sides (viaducts) the bridge in Oakland, Cali would be the longest. Learn your facts.
Awesome bridge
Indeed!
I remember taking the first official bus over the bridge from Staten Island (turns out there were unofficial ones nearer the bridge) after taking the ferry across.
If I remember right, there was an option to use the lower deck for trains, but it was never followed through with.
The lower deck was always planned for autos. The steep angle of the bridge approaches and distance from the BMT subway on 4th Avenue precluded any rail service over the bridge. For better or worse, in the early 1960s cars were the future of transit.
@@edwardp3502 I accept that. Moses was not exactly a friend of those whose neighborhoods he aimed to destroy.
Official name: VERRAZZANO- Narrows Bridge
Yeah, new york.
You sent me a toll charge when I didn't have the truck and turned in my old tag for the truck. When the tag showed up in new york on a dodge like the one I had. But the truck went to scrap because I'm the one to take it there. I'm also the one to turn in the tag for that truck.
But new york send a toll charge to my old tag that I reside in Florida. Smh. 😅
Obviously I did not pay it but did contact the dmv here in Florida and new york. And I had proof it wasn't me because I drove semi at the time and had my log book that is federal regulation to prove I was not in new york at the time of picture.
It blew my mind when I got new york mail in my Florida mailbox. Lol
Hi Brian Socash. I love your stuff, but you just made a mistake here. You called the Outerbridge Crossing, the Outerbridge. It’s not the Outer bridge. It’s the Outer Bridge Crossing. And it’s called that not because of its location… It was named after somebody named Peter Oouterbridge just wanted to let you know.
It's tolls are one of the largest too
How expensive are they?
Robert Moses hated being called "Bobby"
I have a news paper from when this was built back then o the front page. It’s never been opened up.
I recall that, in 1970. Staten Island had a semi-rural aspect to it, with frequent brush fires erupting. Because of the bridge, now it is a version of the borough of Queens,
There’s still a fair amount of open space, especially compared to the rest of the city.
It is remarkable that Robert Moses lived to old age.
He prolly had pretty good bodyguards.
He never had to deal with the stress of being evicted.
Fun Fact: Robert Moses never learned to drive.
I also never realized there was a bridge over the Hudson south of the GW bridge. Mandela Effect?
That's no longer the Hudson, it's New York Harbor.
With the amount of tolls paid on this bridge over the years, its been paid off and much more over the 60 years by ten fold...😅😅😅
And so has every other bridge and tunnel which has a toll
This bridge could serve a vital subway connection between Brooklyn & Staten Island, which was never done.
The subway connection was supposed to be further north. It still should be.
Robert Mosses made sure the bridge was incapable of carrying subway tracks. He was a very petty man and very much anti-mass transit, since he felt it took away from his toll revenues.
@@joermnyc He never intended it for subways. But get this; He never really stopped any subways from being built. And the fact that buses are allowed there, and the MTA has buses using the bridge proves that the bridge does benefit mass transit, whether he wanted it or not, or whether you want to face it or not.
Big mistake
@@steves1749 Not really, because the proposed subway connection was north of there.
Nice
A most beautiful bridge when it was built. Now it is a rusting, potholed hulk despite the huge traffic tolls. NY NY what a wonderful town.
I can see this from my house in NJ
They did not install a lower deck later on. The lower deck was part of original construction. They opened the lower deck for traffic in 1969.
the only part of NYC on the mainland is the Bronx
Unless, you also consider Marble Hill in Manhattan.
well played@@DTD110865
Goethals opened in June 29, 1928 and on that same day the Outercrossing also opened. (You show the outercrossing in the video but call it Goethals.) Holland Tunnel opened November 13, 1927. All well before the Verazzanno opened so there was never a decreased use, traffic only increased. 1986-2020 the toll was only collected outbound to speed up traffic. In 1970 the Outercrossing switched to only tolls for eastbound traffic (but double the fee). A lot of newbies would rekt themselves by entering Manhattan via the tunnel $17 toll, and at the end of the day taking the Verrazzano back to nj for another $20. ouch! You needed to to the opposite. Now with tolls both ways, and soon congestion tolls as well they really screw you....
Also he said Outercrossing but it's called the Outerbridge Crossing. It is actually named after Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge.
Wow nice I'm shocked
It's Verrazzano. 2 Rs, and 2 Zs
Oops. I should have watched to the end before posting a comment
Ouch. 😂
The last time I crossed the VZ bridge was in 2006 and the toll was 8.00.
Afraid to ask, what is the toll charge now? 🤔
18 for cars, non-SI resdients
@@gabrielb3349 🙁 OUCH
$2.75 for Staten Island residents
If your a non si resident BUT you have an ezpass it's about 7. I love in bk and I take that bridge often so I have the ezpass.
@@AJOrsini96Host In '06 I paid 8 with the EZ Pass, NY resident, not SI. So it's actually come Down?? :-O
ANOTHER side note, .50 in 1964 is about $4.55 in 2022, where did you get more than $10?
Ryan's imaginary statistics!
😂
He might have been thinking of the round trip toll at that time. I’m not sure if the two way toll had come back by 2022
NOT 800 feet! The towers are 693 feet high.
Would be cool if u made a vid about done dutch🇳🇱 historic stuff in the usa 🇺🇸
That would just be SI and NJ. Dutch didn't largely impact the US outside of the NY Metro Area.
The bridge that RUINED Staten Island
He should have mentioned that the toll was supposed to be temporary to just pay for the bridge but the gov is greedy
The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge should be replaced with a more stylish steel truss one with an aluminum plating to give it a silvery look.
I also want it to have 8 lanes of traffic, 2 pedestrian paths, & room for NYC Subway Trackage. All of these aren't featured in the existing bridge.
@@bennythepenny5831 Manhattan bridge 2.0: electric boogaloo
@@chiquita683 actually maintained by MTA which is not apart of the gov but a private company. But they are greedy with 7 bucks on the toll and charging toll by mail rate ($11) if u have any other ezpass agency execpt New York
Attention flat earthers, skip 8:56 if you still don’t believe the earth is round 😂
Tilting the towers has nothing to do with the curvature of the Earth but was added to the design to balance the loading. The center span is much longer and heavier than the approach spans and so the towers were tilted to compensate for the uneven load. Imagine if your right arm was longer than your left arm, or if you carrying something in your right hand but nothing on the left. You would have to lean your body to left to compensate the imbalance.
@@NovusodAccording to numerous sources, it was to compensate for the curvature since each tower had to be plumb and not tilted. Each one is level with the ground. This is from the official MTA site: "Its monumental 693 foot high towers are 1 5/8 inches farther apart at their tops than at their bases because the 4,260 foot distance between them made it necessary to compensate for the earth's curvature." I can't post links here but I have several other sources that say the same thing. For example, it is in an article titled, "The History of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, 50 Years After Its Construction" in Smithsonian Magazine and the book "Six Bridges: The Legacy of Othmar H. Ammann" from Yale University Press.
@@larry4111 It is just an often repeated myth but it is not actually true.
@@Novusod What's your source? Like I said, it's on the official MTA site (owners of the bridge) and many others.
@@larry4111 My source is a professor who told me the real reason in an engineering course I took in college. He had diagrams and math explaining it all.
THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE BRIDGE IS: THE VERRAZZANO-NARROWS BRIDGE.
I'm from South Dakota. Will the bridge cameras take a picture of my plate and send me a bill all the way back here? I wonder if, statistically, that serves as a deterrent for tourism.
Yes
@@Spectacular66 thank you
Get yourself an EZ pass if you come to the northeast. Tolls are cheaper if you have one.
NYC will track you to the moon for their money 💰
Sadly odd choices mess with the HOV lane mainly the ramps to the Belt Parkway on the Brooklyn side.
Wow...the builders weren't even invited. That's foul
It wasnt the Tacoma Bridge it was the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma. I had always heard people called it the tacoma bridge as more of an insult to the person who designed it
Verrazzano has the longest MAIN span in North America.
The Footbridge Ropes were cut into the Suspender ropes.
Travolta's bridge
What, wait a minute. 50 cents was worth $10 back then 😮😮😮
Government driven inflation is a hell of a thing... $0.50 then would buy them the same thing $10 costs us now.
$0.50 in 1964 = $4.96 in 2024
It was also going to be a challenge until men and women didn't have to be separated to cross the Narrows either.......
Why isn't there any bicycles or foot traffic lanes on this bridge, that's crazy
Because the people who live there don't want it.
It's kind of long for foot traffic or bicycle lanes.
@@DTD110865 yes it's very long but that shouldn't be a reason it doesn't have that
@@FlexHoliday Actually that's a good reason not to. Not everybody is a pro-level bike rider, or power walker, or marathon runner. Crossing the narrows on a bike would take longer than it would with a car, truck or bus.