On June 20, 1973, Governor Nelson Rockefeller made this statement concerning the Oyster Bay-Rye Bridge:
After long and careful consideration and review of all factors concerned, I have decided to discontinue plans for the construction of the Oyster Bay-Rye Bridge.
This has not been an easy decision. There are strong arguments for the bridge, and I have vigorously supported this proposal. It is part of a long-standing plan to link Long Island to the mainland and to enhance the role of the Island in the commerce and industry of the state.
However, in recent years the people of our state and the country have gradually come to adopt new values in relation to our environment and evidenced a willingness to forgo certain economic advantages to achieve these values. The Oyster Bay-Rye Bridge has become a lightning rod in this period of evolution. Therefore, after a thorough review of all the factors and after consulting with representatives of environmental, labor, business and other groups, and with individuals, I have come to the conclusion that we should cease our plans to build the Oyster Bay-Rye Bridge.
Although the bridge would bring many real benefits and fill some real needs, obviously it would lead to large-scale disruption of existing patterns of life. We must continue to grow, and must continue to grow in a way that is compatible with valid environmental objectives.
Therefore, I believe we should concentrate our efforts on extending and improving our mass transit systems to better serve the needs of the people on an economical and efficient basis, while at the same time undertaking necessary highway projects throughout the state that do not involve ecological problems.
Although the original proposal was defeated, plans for a bridge across Long Island Sound continued to top the agenda among transportation officials for many years. In 1979, before a meeting organized by state and county officials in Hauppauge, New York, Robert Moses, by now a 91-year-old advisor emeritus for the MTA, repeated the need for a bridge:
Long Island needs a Sound Crossing, but where? Westchester needs a Sound Crossing, but where? Connecticut needs a Sound Crossing, but where? It was clear to us 20 years ago, and is more obvious today, that we need a Sound Crossing for 40,000 to 50,000 daily users at a location that will avoid circuitous, time-consuming, energy wasting, totally unnecessary trips through New York City. We need immediately a bridge from Oyster Bay to Rye built from income derived from users.
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