You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Home Front Economy
New York To Toll All East River Bridges
2008-11-09
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is swimming in a sea of red ink and sources tell CBS 2 HD drivers in the city might not like the bailout plan.

Nearly half a million cars go back and forth over the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and 59th Street bridges every day for free. Some people think that's not right. "We already have tolls at the Battery Tunnel, Midtown Tunnel, the Triborough Bridge let's put pricing on all of the crossings in between," said Sam Schwartz, one of the leading transportation engineers in the country.

Guess what? State and city officials now seem to agree. Sources tell CBS 2 HD that putting tolls on some or all of the East River bridges is part of the bailout plan being considered for the MTA. "People coming into the city should be paying for some of the service they get," Schwartz said.

Tolling all four bridges may be a heavy lift for Mayor Michael Bloomberg right now, which is why it's possible tolls could be put on just two.

Another option is to have tolls only during morning and evening rush hours.

Sources say putting tolls on all four spans could raise almost $1 billion for mass transit. "That's crazy," said Alex Shaw of the Bronx. "We're taxed enough. They've got to get the money from someplace else. Stop putting it on the motorists."
Posted by:Fred

#12  "People coming into the city should be paying for some of the service they get,"

This Ass Hat has the typical "Manhattan IS the city" attitude common among the city's elite. New York City is composed of FIVE boroughs (Counties to anyone from the outside). Most users of those bridges are NYC residents to begin with. Putting tolls on those bridges would restrict travel within the city.

In simple geographic terms New York City is an archipelago made up almost entirely of islands. The only portion of the city on the mainland is the Bronx. Everything else is on an island. That is why we have so many bridges, tunnels and ferries. The East River bridges provide links between Manhattan and either Brooklyn or Queens both of which are EQUALLY part of New York City.

Brooklyn itself was once the fourth largest city in the US. It could be so again, particularly if it, Queens and Staten Island split off to form their own city (unlikely though that may be).
Posted by: DanNY   2008-11-09 22:18  

#11  Perfesser, you already pay local and federal gas/air travel taxes that should pay for maintenance and upgrades to your transportation systems. I suggest you look into where those funds are diverted to. Hint: not there
Posted by: Frank G   2008-11-09 16:55  

#10  Asking people to pay for services delivered. What a concept. Next thing you know, the FAA will add a tax on airplane tickets to finance improvements in the air traffic control system. Naaah, that'll never happen.
Posted by: Perfesser   2008-11-09 16:38  

#9  LOL, AP!! :)
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2008-11-09 15:01  

#8  Do not ask for whom the bridge tolls
It tolls for thee.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2008-11-09 14:38  

#7  I know this may be heresy in some of our more progressive and enlightened enlaves, but how about cutting spending?

Just mandate going back to spending levels of 5 yrs ago, and I bet that deficit clears right up.
Posted by: Frank G   2008-11-09 11:37  

#6  If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.

-- Taxman, The Beatles
Posted by: SteveS   2008-11-09 10:52  

#5  Quagmire!
Posted by: anonymous5089   2008-11-09 09:59  

#4  Let everyone travel free, but Nationalize confiscate the polluting car titles and auction them off in two year intervals until all the polluters are gone. The sell gummit green hybrid "People's Lada Cars" at extreme prices and high gummit interest until everyone uses public trans.
Posted by: Besoeker   2008-11-09 07:03  

#3   I would imagine the more tolls collected the slower the traffic & the longer the backups.
It would be easier to tax commuters for parking in NYC, $5-10 an hour would do.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2008-11-09 03:27  

#2  Traffic jams? Nah...maybe they can raise money selling pitchforks and torches?
Posted by: Muggsy Glink   2008-11-09 00:31  

#1  The good thing about a plan like this is that many of the people who cross the bridges every day are not residents of NY city. They don't vote for the Mayor or city council. So they can be pissed off as much as they want, and it won't hurt the NYC politicians at all. It's a win-win (for the NYC pols, that is.) Maybe they should raise the tolls until people stop coming into the city. That would ease congestion, pollution and global warming. Of course, that would ruin the economy of NYC, but you can't make an omelet without breaking a few golden eggs.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2008-11-09 00:13  

00:00