Bridge Tolls Back on the Table?
The Brooklyn Politics blog highlights an article from City Hall News suggesting that the Port Authority’s recent plan to boost tolls at Hudson River crossings could end up reviving the idea of charging drivers to use East River crossings like the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge: The model being considered was first proposed by “Gridlock”…
The Brooklyn Politics blog highlights an article from City Hall News suggesting that the Port Authority’s recent plan to boost tolls at Hudson River crossings could end up reviving the idea of charging drivers to use East River crossings like the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge:
The model being considered was first proposed by “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz, the former city traffic commissioner who runs a transportation consulting business. His plan would raise all tolls into Manhattan below 60th Street to $13, charge drivers to cross 60th Street from uptown, and impose tolls for the first time on the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Ed Koch Queensboro bridges. The price at other crossings would stay flat or be lowered, to reward drivers who aren’t contributing to Manhattan congestion – reducing tolls at the RFK Triboro, Verrazano Narrows, Throgs Neck and Whitestone Bridges from $13 to $8. “Lower the tolls on … all the connections between the boroughs other than the central business district,” Schwartz said. “And put tolls up where we need them, at the four East River bridges and the 60th Street screen.”
Fair?
Sam is correct – it makes no sense to encourage trucks between LI and NJ to use Canal Street simply to avoid the V-N Bridge toll, which is what many do. The V-N Bridge/PA bridges from SI to NJ are a “bypass” specifically to move traffic out of the central business district, but the current tolling encourages the opposite. Canal Street is awful. Moses originally wanted to build the Cross-Manhattan expway above Canal Street, which would have been far worse.
I sometimes drive into the city, and I’m willing to pay a toll. I think it makes sense.
More tolls and less public transportation service? Brilliant. I already gave up using the train on the weekends. For any trip less than 15 miles from my house, it takes 2-3 times as long on a train as it does on a bike. I don’t drive, but I encourage rides from friends on long distance trips. It can easily take three hours each way from Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights/Bensonhurst to the Upper West Side, two hours each way to Williamsburg on the weekend, and often one hour to Park Slope on the train! That’s a speed of four miles per hour! Everyone I know is either buying a car or talking about buying a car. Public transportation in the outer parts of Brooklyn and Queens has become a joke. Better service=fewer cars. I’m even considering buying a car, and I haven’t owned a car since 1998.
More tolls and less public transportation service? Brilliant. I already gave up using the train on the weekends. For any trip less than 15 miles from my house, it takes 2-3 times as long on a train as it does on a bike. I don’t drive, but I encourage rides from friends on long distance trips. It can easily take three hours each way from Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights/Bensonhurst to the Upper West Side, two hours each way to Williamsburg on the weekend, and often one hour to Park Slope on the train! That’s a speed of four miles per hour! Everyone I know is either buying a car or talking about buying a car. Public transportation in the outer parts of Brooklyn and Queens has become a joke. Better service=fewer cars. I’m even considering buying a car, and I haven’t owned a car since 1998.
As a car-owner and driver (and as a resident, pedestrian, cyclist, taxpayer and parent), there is no better solution to most of the problems in Downtown Brooklyn than to toll the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.
To paraphrase George Wallace: “Toll the ‘free’ bridges today, toll the ‘free’ bridges tomorrow, toll the ‘free’ bridges forever!”
It will remove literally tons of pollution and traffic from Downtown Brooklyn streets, and take some of the sting out of the Atlantic Yards mess.
C:
Have you seen the statistics on who actually drives into Manhattan in their own car? It’s not the “little guy” – it’s the rich guy who has a car and few other competitive transportation options.
I admit that outer borough subway, bus and train service has to improve, but let’s admit it’s not “the little guy” who can afford to drive into and park in the city each day.
“do less people travel across the Verrazano bridge because its $13 bucks? ”
you better believe it. i know of several people who take the bus as a direct result. however, keep in mind SI residents are not paying $13 bucks.
“that’s the key- better mass transit.”
i agree. i’m not a traffic expert but this seems why we still are where we are. putting parking solutions round outlying subway stations or some other workaround a is not really a solution.
which leads me to believe that this is a money grab, nothing less.
“do less people travel across the Verrazano bridge because its $13 bucks? ”
you better believe it. i know of several people who take the bus as a direct result. however, keep in mind SI residents are not paying $13 bucks.
“that’s the key- better mass transit.”
i agree. i’m not a traffic expert but this seems why we still are where we are. putting parking solutions round outlying subway stations or some other workaround a is not really a solution.
which leads me to believe that this is a money grab, nothing less.