Robert Moses may be dead, but the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority lives on.

Joe Lhota, it seems, wants to finish the job that Governor Nelson Rockefeller started. Speaking to the Staten Island Advance last week, the frontrunner laid out the most ambitious transportation proposal yet of the 2013 mayoral race: give New York City back its bridges and tunnels.

"The former head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority," the editorial board wrote, "said that if he were to be elected mayor, he would seek to get full mayoral control of the bridges and tunnels in the city."

Aside from the untolled East River bridges that belong to the city—the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges—major river crossings between the five boroughs belong to the state, under the guise of the MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

This division retains the legal name "Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority," a testament to Robert Moses's iron-clad bond covenants and their origins as his primary source of power. He used these tax-free, oversight-free sources of revenue to fund the public works empire he directed from Randall's Island, blanketing the outer boroughs and even the fringes of Manhattan with highways, parkways and transit-free river crossings. Through this slush fund he subsidized automobile travel in a city that had hitherto been almost completely dependent on mass transit.

In 1968, Gov. Rockefeller eventually succeeded where so many others had failed, and wrested control of the Triborough Authority, named after Moses' signature spans, away from New York's master builder. He directed the money instead to the newly created Metropolitan Transportation Authority, under the control of the governor, where it remains today.

If Joe Lhota gets his way, however, this may all change. The Advance framed the policy as toll relief—at least to Staten Islanders. Brooklyn and Queens motorists, though, could see tolls for the first time on their bridges. "Put all the bridges and tunnels under the control of one entity, namely the city," wrote the Advance, "and we have a shot at genuine toll equity"—in other words, we'd be half way to congestion pricing.

But putting New York City's bridges and tunnels under the authority of the city could also do something else, unmentioned by the Staten Island Advance: give the city a say in the MTA.

Currently the MTA is funded almost entirely through the state, through taxes and tolls, and the federal government, which gives out grants for capital projects. If the city regained the money that currently goes straight into MTA coffers—$940 million in 2011 after expenses, according to MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg—it could remit this back to the MTA, but with one crucial difference: the city would have the power of the purse, if not direct control.

Because the city is more dependent on the MTA than the state, it may be better placed to oversee to the agency. Self-professed "car guy" Andrew Cuomo, for example, has dragged his feet on replacing Joe Lhota as head of the MTA, and has made the Tappan Zee, not transit, his signature public works initiative.

That said, there are also reasons to be skeptical that the city would do any better than the state. Michael Bloomberg, for example, spent $1.4 billion in city money on the 7 train extension to the Far West Side, but did not put any pressure on the agency to spend it more wisely than it does on its other, non-city-funded projects. As a result of this inability to control costs—the 7 train extension, like all of the MTA's other capital projects, is shockingly expensive when viewed against comparable projects outside of the United States—the extension lost its station at 10th Avenue and 41st Street, cutting its utility in half.

And the City Council is even worse. Its "oversight" sessions often devolve into parochial gripe fests by city officials with only the most tenuous grasp on how New York City transit works.

Then again, Joe Lhota obviously has more transit acumen than City Council and Mayor Bloomberg.

But aside from political concerns, there's the question of how the city could, legally speaking, retake control over its bridges and tunnels. Moses's skillful manipulation of bond covenants made even the MTA takeover difficult even back in in the '60s. As Robert Caro detailed in The Power Broker, it may not have been possible were it not for the fact that Gov. Nelson Rockefeller's brother David was president of the Chase Manhattan Bank at the time, the largest holder of Triborough bonds.

But if Joe Lhota can get elected and surmount these obstacles—big ifs—then gaining control over the city's bridges and tunnels might give him at least a modicum of control over an even bigger (though familiar) prize: the city's subways.

At least there's a tax extension on these places

At least there's one benefit for those whose homes were destroyed or significantly damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Today, the city council voted to give owners of such properties an interest-free extension on their next property tax bill— a three month grace period that extends until April 1, 2013 (tax bills are usually due on January 1).

Which a little more time to pay taxes on a home that's no longer is not really all that much of a consolation for home-owners, at least it gives people a little more time to collect on insurance payouts (for those lucky enough to have insurance payments to collect on). And the city's coffers do need an infusion of funds—New York is $19 billion out of pocket for the Hurricane (though federal funds should be forthcoming).

But not just anyone who experienced a soggy basement can take advantage of the break. Only properties that were red tagged by the Department of Buildings—i.e. uninhabitable now and in the immediate future—qualify, meaning that damage is so bad that the house must be demolished or have extensive structural before anyone can live there.

“Enacting this grace period is one small way we can reassure people who are worried they won't be able to pay the bill on time, and it’s also going to give them a little bit of extra money,” council speaker Christine Quinn said in a release.

About 3,000 properties are eligible for the extension, according to the Council. The average property tax bill is $506.

The extension was proposed by councilmembers Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo, who represented Staten Island, where much of the worst damage occurred.

This legislation is the first step in a multi-pronged effort to provide those affected with property tax relief.  I look forward to the next step, which will include businesses and rebates for property owners most affected," said Mr. Oddo in a statement.

The IRS is also offering tax extensions for New York State residents affected by Sandy, pushing back the deadline for return filing and tax payment.

And, for those who don't rebuild their homes to their former glory, there's the promise of a reduced assessment next year.

kvelsey@observer.com

Zoom, zoom.

One of the more unusual sides of the city's response to Superstorm Sandy has been the ingenuity of the transportation and planning wonks that help us get around this giant metropolis. It is not only the speed with which the MTA recovered, but also what it and the city's Department of Transportation did in between. Creating bus bridges to replace flooded subways, launching new ferry lines, creating special subway shuttles.

Today, Mayor Bloomberg and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced yet another innovation, a second ferry for Staten Island. The Rockaways already has one, and now the city is looking for an operator to serve the hardest-hit sections of Staten Island's south shore. With widespread destruction, many locals' lives have been interrupted, forcing them to leave behind their homes and cars. The new ferry service is seen as a lifeline between Great Kills and Manhattan, for those struggling to get to work and beyond.

“We are committed to rebuilding and helping people in Staten Island and all impacted areas get their lives back on track,” Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement. “Part of the rebuilding effort is making sure Staten Islanders have manageable commutes to their jobs despite heavy damage to roadways and vehicles during the storm. This new fast ferry service from Great Kills is affordable and quick, and we are confident it will help ease the commute for Staten Islanders during these tough times.”

Already, DOT and the MTA have expanded express bus service in the area on the X23 and X24 lines, and starting next Monday, there should be a ferry running from Great Kills landing to both Pier 11 on Wall Street and the 35th Street Pier in Midtown. Currently, the city is soliciting bids from ferry operators to run the service and it expects to make a decision in time for rush hour Monday morning.

“For those Staten Islanders rebuilding their homes and their lives, every minute counts,” Commissioner Sadik-Khan said. “With this new Staten Island ferry service, we're doing our part to get New Yorkers back on their way and providing a new and faster commuting option to some of the city's hardest-hit neighborhoods and making that daily trip to work or school easier and faster.”

After all, even on a regular day, getting to work from Staten Island is not easy, as Councilman James Oddo points out. “Staten Islanders have some of the most difficult commutes in the nation, so adding this transportation alternative is welcome news,” he said.

A wedding photo salvaged from a flood-damaged home in Staten Island. (Getty Images)

Among the thousands of images taken of Hurricane Sandy’s destruction, showing mangled houses and weeping children, photographs of floating family albums and framed memories lost to the storm have been particularly poignant.

For these families, there is no way to rebuild a photograph of a baby’s first step, a great-grandfather’s smile, a son’s lost tooth or a daughter’s prom night – but now local photographers are banding together to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy reclaim their memories with free portrait sessions and image restoration.

Photographer Meg Bitton formed Souls Rebuilt on November 1, inspired to help the thousands of suffering families the best way she knew how: with photographs.

‘The goal is a simple one,’ she said on her website. 'To provide a new set of family memories through photographs to those that lost theirs in the storm.’

She has already ventured to numerous areas devastated by the storm, offering her services to whomever needs them. More than 100 photographers interested in helping have already been in touch, anxious to mobilize their art and get to work.

‘The response to this has been overwhelming.' she said. 'Over 100 photographers have volunteered.'

Ms Bitton has already organized one relief trip to Staten Island, packing blankets, supplies and cameras.

Families interested in having their waterlogged images repaired can also reach out to Souls Rebuilt and connect with an expert re-toucher, happy to help victims salvage what photographs remain.

‘So far we are seeing that the Hurricane survivors are of course focusing on basic needs, food and shelter,' Ms Bitton said. 'Once people are more recovered, it will be our turn.’

Drita D'Avanzo filming during the Sandy relief effort.

According to a volunteer helping to distribute resources to victims of Hurricane Sandy last Friday, Drita D'Avanzo of VH1's reality show Mob Wives, and her camera crew made a surprise appearance at a place where volunteers were distributing supplies to victims of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island. According to a volunteer with the relief effort who spoke to The Observer, her arrival was "not well received."

"So she walked up and volunteers thought it was another news crew filming people helping out. " the volunteer said, providing a photo of the occasion. "But then a boom mike lurked over our heads. Notice in the picture everyone turning their backs on her and walking away. She was not well received and was able to clear a hot coffee stand on a cold day in 2 seconds."

Parts of Staten Island were among the most damaged in Sandy's aftermath, and despite its relatively small population, the borough contained more than half of the city's storm-related casualties. The volunteer said those who were participating in the relief effort there felt it was inappropriate for Ms. D'Avanzo to take advantage of the damage to film her show.

"Keep in mind this was 50 feet from where people died and bodies recovered," the volunteer explained. "As she was filming her reality show, about 100 students and faculty from IS34 were a few feet away cleaning debris, not show boating for the news cameras, and reminding the world why Staten Island is a pretty good community to live in."

Jenn Graziano, of Just Jenn Productions, a producer of Mob Wives, said the show has taken steps to ensure they are not interfering with those affected by the storm. However, they didn't want to ignore the situation on Staten Island.

"This tragedy is a part of the reality these women are experiencing, and we can't ignore it. We are working carefully not to intrude or interfere with anyone," Ms. Graziano said. "But we do want to show what's happened on Staten Island through the eyes of all of our cast members who are all out trying to help their neighbors through this difficult time."

Courtesy, Professionalism and Raincoats. (Getty)

One of the few bright spots to Hurricane Sandy, besides a new found appreciation for a subway system we too often loathe, is that crime is down, and according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, there have been no homicides since the storm hit the city Monday night.

"We’ve had no murders for three days," Commissioner Kelly told reporters today inside the portico of City Hall, following the mayor's afternoon press briefing.  "And we’ve also had a reduction in domestic violence."

The commissioner was perhaps choosing his words carefully, saying no murders in three days (not counting Friday it would seem), because there was one murder, still unsolved and even unexplained, that happened Monday night just as the storm was hitting the city. The Times' crime columnist Michael Wilson published the remarkable details of the incident just today.

Commissioner Kelly explained that these things are to be expected, though, as with any natural disaster. "It’s a phenomena we’ve seen before, where there’s bad weather, where there’s any sort of major catastrophe, then crime seems to go down," the commissioner said. "We’ve had a 34 percent reduction in crime over this week."

But that does not go for all types of crimes "We’ve seen a certain increase in burglaries in certain areas of the city," the commissioner said. Those reports were mostly in Staten Island and southern Queens, two of the areas hardest hit by the storms.

The commissioner said he had yet to see similar reports for downtown Manhattan, which has been without power up until tonight, a pronouncement that surprised some reporters. But the commissioner than acknowledged that it may not be that those crimes have not happened but simply that they have not been reported, given the situation downtown.

"There may be a latent effect in terms reporting, people may not be in a position to report it, they may not be aware of it," the commissioner said.

But at least for now it's nice to hope/pretend that everyone was on their best behavior downtown during the storm.

A marathon runs through it. (Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)

Mayor Bloomberg has gotten his fair share of criticism for deciding to go ahead with the annual New York City Marathon, given the devastation throughout the city following Hurricane Sandy, including not far from the starting line in Staten Island. But the mayor is sticking to his previous promise to have the race run, to send a message of New York's recovery and to help buoy an economy that has been battered by the storm.

"As Rudy Giuliani said to me this morning, he said, 'You know, right after 9/11 people said the same thing,'" Mayor Bloomberg said. Being Mike Bloomberg, he then launched into an economic defense for his decision. "New York has to show that we’re here, we are going to recover, and that while we help people we can still help companies that need the business, still generate the tax base so that we have the resources to help people. We can give people something to cheer about in what’s been a very dismal week for some people.”

More than excitement, the mayor seemed to stress this was a matter of hope. "I think Rudy had it right, you have to keep going, and doing things," Mayor Bloomberg said. "You can grieve, you can cry and you can laugh all at the same time. That’s what human beings are good at."

One of the biggest concerns seems to be diverting city resources away from the recovery effort, but Mayor Bloomberg insisted that would not happen.

"It does use some resources, but it doesn’t use resources that can really make a difference in recovery, that sort of thing,' the mayor said. "It’s a different group of people, it’s a relatively small amount of people, it’s the Sanitation Departments resources. And we have to have the city going forward. I don’t think there’s any question there are New Yorkers who have lost loved ones, we can’t replace that, people who have lost their homes, we have to do everything we can to make sure they recover, it’s hard for people to get through this thing, and I can assure you we are doing that. "

Were there any threat to the recovery efforts, the mayor insisted he would not allow the race to continue. "We have plenty of police officers who work in areas that aren’t effected, we don’t take all of them and move them into areas that are effected," the mayor said. "There will be no diversion of resources, there will be no redistribution of our efforts, no diminution of our efforts. We have a 24/7 operation going, which I’m confident we’re gonna do. We have to do everything we can to help people."

The mayor also pointed out that the New York Road Runners, the group that organizes the race, was doing its part, donating $1 million to the city's recovery fund, with an additional $1 million possible from runners, who are being asked to contribute $26.20, an homage to the 26.2-mile length of a typical marathon.

"As Mary Wittenberg, the head of the Road Runners club said, they’re running this race to help New York City, and the donations from all the runners and clubs are going to be a big relief to our relief efforts," the mayor said.

Steve Stanulis

Steve Stanulis was about ready to wrap production on his independent feature Long Shot Louie; the last day of shooting was set for last Monday.

His final scenes were set to be filmed on the boardwalk at Staten Island's Midland Beach.

Since then, with the beach essentially underwater, Mr. Stanulis, the executive producer and co-star, has been in contact with his financiers: "It ain't our fault--it's an act of God. But the people who put up the money don't want to hear that, though."

With the filming delayed, Mr. Stanulis has put to work his experience as a former police officer (he's known for his Off-Broadway production about his time as a cop-by-day, exotic-dancer-by-night) and Staten Island native. "I'm helping people pump out water, and I always stock up on water, so I've been giving out Poland Springs. We're doing our best with what we have."

He described his now-"way over budget" film as "about a male stripper, but the only similarity between that and Magic Mike is the male stripper. It's more The Wrestler meets Boogie Nights." And he's confident, though, that the film will be finished: "It'll totally come to pass. The only question that's not known is the location--but I'm pulling for Staten Island."

Once the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was built the Brooklyn Ferry, at 69th Street, was no longer the, "short route to New Jersey". (Museum of the City of New York)

For New Yorkers interested in getting closer, but not too close to Staten Island, the Museum of the City of New York and the Working Harbor Committee is hosting a boat tour to compliment the museum's current exhibit: “From Farm to City: Staten Island 1661-2012.″

The tour, which circumnavigates the Island, will look at the past, present and future of the waterfront and its relationship to the city's marine history. It also provides a nice chance for New Yorkers keen to learn more about the forgotten borough, but wary of setting foot on Staten Island soil (or the nautically inclined).

The three-hour boat tour, scheduled for November 3 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will explore the borough's coves and lighthouses, the site of the proposed 625-foot high Ferris Wheel and the villages of Tottenville and Stapelton, where the Sandy Hook Pilots and the New York City fireboats dock. Historians, city-planners and waterfront professionals will speak.

Ticket prices run $40 for the general public. Of course, penny pinchers can always take the city's free Staten Island ferry and tour the island on foot.

kvelsey@observer.com