(Save the date: RealShare New York comes to the Grand Hyatt, New York, NY, October 9.)

ALBANY- After getting a unanimous vote from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has requested federal funding to move forward with the $5 billion replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge, an infrastructure project that the commercial real estate industry has long supported.

In a letter to US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Cuomo formally initiated New York’s application for funding under the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) as a result of the council’s vote. “There is no doubt that the bridge replacement is critical,” Cuomo wrote. “The Tappan Zee is outdated and unsafe with an accident rate twice that of any other portion of the New York State Thruway, and adds needless congestion for tens of thousands of commuters. It will be safe for drivers, faster for bus commuters and the project will create tens of thousands of new jobs.”