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Senate Votes Down Bill For Insuring Tramway
The Republican-controlled State Senate rejected today, 28 to 26, a measure that would restore tramway service between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island.
Five Republican Senators from New York City joined in what proved to be an unsuccessful effort to pass legislation to restore the island's aerial rail link across the East River.
The Democratic-controlled Assembly has already passed the measure.
Senate Democrats, contending that upstate Republicans had purposely blocked the measure, promised to bring the proposal before the Senate again Monday.
The legislation would give the state direct responsibility for insuring the tramway, which lost protection when its private insurer refused to renew the liability policy at its present level of coverage, $150 million. The tramway, which transported 2,000 to 3,000 people each day, was halted 10 days ago when the liability policy expired.
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