The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey apologized for the George Washington Bridge lane closures that sparked a national scandal and several investigations into the New Jersey Governor's office, The New York Times reported.
The apology was issued at a Port Authority board meeting on Wednesday, almost half a year after the lanes were first closed in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
"I cannot allow this agency to be mischaracterized by the actions of a few individuals," said David Samson, chairman of the Port Authority, The Times reported. Samson is referring to former Port Authority officials David Wildstein and Bill Baroni. Both men have since resigned after being suspected of having a hand in planning the lane closures.
"On behalf of the board of commissioners, we are deeply sorry for the inconvenience caused to our travelers," Samson said, The Times reported.
The George Washington Bridge lane closure controversy, dubbed "bridgegate," is still under government investigation after evidence of the closures broke in January 2013.
Bridget Anne Kelly, who at the time was Governor Chris Christie's deputy chief of staff, sent an email to Wildstein in September 2013 saying "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
That same month, the lanes were closed, causing traffic jams that allegedly delayed emergency responders from reaching their destination.
The lanes were reportedly closed as a form of retaliation against the mayor of Fort Lee, who is a Democrat.
The release of the emails caused the public to question Samson's role at the Port Authority, especially since Samson is an ally of the Republican governor, The Times reported.
At the meeting Samson did not say if he was involved in the bridgegate. Instead, the chairman said "the public will have a complete picture" once "established efforts to examine the events" are complete, The Times reported.
