(a) Upon (i) the enactment by the state of Connecticut of legislation having like effect as the provisions of this paragraph and the granting of the consent of the congress of the United States of America to the interstate compact thereby created, and (ii) in conformity with recommendations of the New York-Connecticut bi-state bridge study commission, the authority is authorized, in cooperation with any duly designated agency or agencies of the state of Connecticut, to design, construct, maintain, operate, improve and reconstruct a highway bridge crossing Long Island sound from a point in the vicinity of the city of Bridgeport in the state of Connecticut to a point in the vicinity of the village of Port Jefferson in the state of New York, together with approaches to such bridge; and to contract from time to time with such agency or agencies of the state of Connecticut with respect to all matters affecting these authorizations, including, without limitation, the sharing of all capital, operational and maintenance expense (except that the capital expense of the original construction of such bridge, other than the expense of acquiring the needed real property, shall be in the ratio of fifty per-centum for the authority and fifty per-centum for such agency or agencies of the state of Connecticut), the manner and by whom the work of design, construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance and operation is to be performed or contracted to others for performance, the tolls, fees and other charges to be imposed from time to time for the use of such bridge, and the sharing of revenues derived from the imposition of such tolls, fees and charges (except that net revenues remaining after deduction of operational and maintenance expense of such bridge shall be in the ratio of fifty per-centum for the authority and fifty per-centum for the state of Connecticut or for such agency or agencies of the state of Connecticut. Subject to the limitations imposed upon the authority by the provisions of the said contracts, that portion of the said bridge and its approaches situate and lying within the territorial boundaries of the state of New York shall be deemed a "transportation facility" of the authority for all the purposes of this title, but tolls, fees and other charges imposed for the use of such bridge shall not be deemed to have been imposed "for the transportation of passengers" within the intendment of subdivision three of this section.

(b) If funds are made available by the authority for the payment of the cost and expense of the acquisition thereof, the commissioner of transportation of the state of New York, when requested by the authority, may acquire in the name of the state such real property lying within the territorial boundaries of the state as may be determined from time to time by the authority to be necessary, convenient or desirable to carry out the authorizations set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision, may remove the owner or occupant thereof where necessary and obtain possession and, when requested by the authority, may dispose of any real property so acquired, all according to the procedure provided in section thirty of the highway law. The authority shall have the right to possess and use for its corporate purposes all such real property so acquired, all according to the procedure provided in section thirty of the highway law. The authority shall have the right to possess and use for its corporate purposes all such real property so acquired. Claims for the value of the property appropriated and for legal damages caused by any such appropriation shall be adjusted and determined by the commissioner of transportation with the approval of the authority or by the court of claims as provided in section thirty of the highway law. When a claim has been filed with the court of claims, the claimant shall cause a copy of such claim to be served upon the authority and the authority shall have the right to be represented and heard before such court. All awards and judgments arising from such claims shall be paid out of moneys of the authority.

(c) The authority, acting independently or jointly or in cooperation with such agency or agencies of the state of Connecticut, may also apply for and accept, upon condition or otherwise, from the duly authorized agencies of the federal government, and of the governments of the states of Connecticut and New York, such underwater and overwater grants of real property, licenses or permits as shall be necessary, convenient or desirable to carry out the authorizations set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision.

(d) The provisions of chapter four hundred forty-two of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-five (and of any agreement entered into in pursuance thereof) relating to the repayment of a loan made by the state to the authority for the purchase of the Long Island railroad shall be inapplicable to (i) the construction of such bridges and their approaches, (ii) bonds, notes or other obligations of the authority issued for or in connection with the financing of the cost of design, construction and reconstruction of such bridges and their approaches, or the proceeds realized upon such issuance; and (iii) revenues derived from the investment of such proceeds or of any part thereof, and from the imposition of tolls, fees or other charges for the use of such bridges. 10. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, general, special or local, or of any agreement entered into in pursuance thereof, relating to the repayment of any loan or advance made by the state to the authority or to the New York city transit authority, neither the authority nor the New York city transit authority shall be required to repay any such loan or advance heretofore made from or by reason of the issuance of bonds or notes of either of them or from the proceeds realized upon such issuance or from any other funds received by either of them from any source whatever in aid or assistance of the project or projects for the financing of which such bonds or notes are issued. 11. No project to be constructed upon real property theretofore used for a transportation purpose, or on an insubstantial addition to such property contiguous thereto, which will not change in a material respect the general character of such prior transportation use, nor any acts or activities in connection with such project, shall be subject to the provisions of article eight, nineteen, twenty-four or twenty-five of the environmental conservation law, or to any local law or ordinance adopted pursuant to any such article. Nor shall any acts or activities taken or proposed to be taken by the authority or by any other person or entity, public or private, in connection with the planning, design, acquisition, improvement, construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of a transportation facility, other than a marine or aviation facility, be subject to the provisions of article eight of the environmental conservation law, or to any local law or ordinance adopted pursuant to any such article if such acts or activities require the preparation of a statement under or pursuant to any federal law or regulation as to the environmental impact thereof. 12. The authority may, upon suitable notice to and an offer to consult with an officer designated by the city of New York, occupy the streets of the city of New York for the purpose of doing any work over or under the same in connection with the improvement, construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of a transportation facility without the consent of or payment to such city. 13. The authority and each of its subsidiary corporations shall place on each transformer and substation which contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) a symbol so indicating the presence of PCBs. Use of a PCB mark illustrated in the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the federal Toxic Substances Control Act shall constitute compliance with the provisions of this subdivision. 14. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or the terms of any contract, the authority, in consultation with the Long Island Rail Road, shall establish and implement a no fare program for transportation on the Long Island Rail Road for police officers employed by the city of New York, county of Nassau, Nassau county villages and cities, county of Suffolk, Suffolk county villages and towns, the division of state police, the port authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, the New York city housing authority and the New York city transit authority. In establishing such program, which has as its goal increased protection and improved safety for its commuters, the authority and the Long Island Rail Road shall, among other things, consider: (a) requiring police officers who ride without cost to register with the Long Island Rail Road as a condition of riding without cost; (b) requiring such officers to indicate during such registration process their regular working hours and the Long Island Rail Road trains that such officers expect to ride; and (c) periodically re-registering and re-validating such officers. The authority and the Long Island Rail Road shall also have the power to consider other matters necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of this section. 15. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or the terms of any contract, the authority, in consultation with the New York city transit authority, the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, shall establish and implement a no fare program for transportation on New York city transit authority systems, the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company for individuals serving as personal care attendants accompanying an Americans With Disabilities Act paratransit eligible individual.

(b) In order to be eligible for such no fare program the personal care attendant must show his or her community based personal care attendant agency issued identification card.

(c) In order to be considered accompanying an Americans With Disabilities Act paratransit eligible individual the personal care attendant shall have the same origin and destination as such paratransit eligible individual. 16. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authority and any of its subsidiary corporations shall establish and implement a half fare rate program for persons with serious mental illness who are eligible to receive supplemental security income benefits as defined pursuant to title sixteen of the federal social security act and section two hundred nine of the social services law. 17. Notwithstanding any conflicting provisions of general, special or local law, and pursuant to the authority's 2000-2004 capital program plans approved by the metropolitan transportation authority capital program review board, the authority or any of its subsidiaries, the New York city transit authority or any of its subsidiaries, or Triborough bridge and tunnel authority, shall provide, from funds identified in such approved 2000-2004 capital program plans, up to twelve million dollars for the financing of a bus and heavy duty vehicles emission research and testing facility and related equipment located in the state of New York, whether within or outside of the transportation district, which facility shall be operated by the department of environmental conservation and shall be available for use on a non-exclusive basis by the authority and any of its subsidiaries, the New York city transit authority and any of its subsidiaries, and Triborough bridge and tunnel authority. 18. The authority shall conduct a campaign of public outreach to inform the public of the provisions pertaining to assault on employees described in subdivision eleven of section 120.05 of the penal law.