Ruggiero

HIGHLAND – Joseph Ruggiero has been on the job for only a few days, but already he has rolled up his sleeves and jumped into the work.

Ruggiero is a former Wappinger town supervisor and most recently has been deputy state comptroller.

He was named by Governor Paterson as the new executive director of the New York State Bridge Authority which operates the Rip Van Winkle, Kingston-Rhinecliff, Mid-Hudson, Newburgh-Beacon and Bear Mountain bridges.

Speaking to MidHudsonNews.com from his office on the Highland side of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, Ruggiero said bridge traffic continues to see the negative impacts of the slow economy.

“I just got my first traffic comparison reports and you can still see from the revenues, that commercial traffic is still down as part of the downturn in the economy, which does impact us as a toll revenue driven agency,” he said. “The economy isn’t surging back up yet; traffic, I would think, is going to improve as the economy does.”

Ruggiero said he will have “some pretty big shoes to fill” with the retirement of his predecessor, George Sinnott.