Episode 13: Why The Brooklyn Bridge Was Built and What It Takes to Maintain It

Paul Schwartz, Deputy Commissioner of Bridges at the NYC Department of Transportation, joins the podcast to discuss the history behind New York City’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge, and what it takes to oversee and maintain it along with over 800 other bridges across the five boroughs. 

Chapters

• 1:21 How the Bridges Team Got the Nickname ‘The Skywalkers’
• 2:55 The Scope of DOT's Bridge Portfolio
• 4:23 The Brooklyn Bridge - Maintenance and Restoration
• 7:36 The Major Challenges of Bridge Maintenance
• 10:53 Brooklyn Bridge Emergency Response - The Mexican Naval Ship Crash
• 13:13 Which Agency Is Responsible for Which Bridge, and Why?
• 15:05 What Lead to the Creation of the Brooklyn Bridge
• 16:13 Listeners, We Want To Hear From You!
• 16:40 Managing Overweight Vehicles on NYC Bridges
• 19:29 What the Next 100 Years of NYC Bridges Looks Like
• 21:33 Paul's Favorite Little Bridge
• 24:17 Paul's Biggest Bridge Pet Peeve
• 25:07 What Paul Is Most Enthusiastic About for the Future of Transportation
• 26:41 A Message From NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriguez