Adding Tolls to Brooklyn Bridges?
Marty Markowitz was just on the Brian Lehrer show arguing against the Ravitch Commission’s proposal to add tolls to the three bridges in Brooklyn as well as the Queensboro Bridge as part of its solution to the MTA deficits. (Rosie Perez just called in agreeing with Marty too.) Are you in favor of adding the…
Marty Markowitz was just on the Brian Lehrer show arguing against the Ravitch Commission’s proposal to add tolls to the three bridges in Brooklyn as well as the Queensboro Bridge as part of its solution to the MTA deficits. (Rosie Perez just called in agreeing with Marty too.) Are you in favor of adding the tolls?
Oops, meant to say…
“But in the worst case scenario, monetarily speaking, that the money is not used as efficiently as we hoped and expected…we will hopefully cut down to some degree harmful emissions”
fsrg, I agree with you completely and your argument is akin to mine about high gas prices discouraging people from driving unless it’s necessary and the only way to get from point A to point B (and ok, the occasional joyride is forgiven!). I don’t think anyone was denying this is about raising money, whether to (hopefully) use on bridge restoration, balance budgetting or whatever. But in the worst case scenario, monetarily speaking, that the money is not used as efficiently as we hoped and expected,
YES, larger goal for all of us is less congestion and pollution! THANK YOU!!
sam, Americans will soon have no choice; they won’t be able to drive as we run out of oil. Or if they do drive, it will be in electric and hydrogen cars, which would be an incredible development for our planet. Anyway, it’s interesting how some say tolls will result in major parking issues close to the Brooklyn sides of the bridges while others say the tolls will have no effect on changing driving patterns. Regardless, your point about public transportation being overcrowded is a very valid one, especially in light of service reductions and it’s time for city planners and politicians to quickly find solutions to this too. There are solutions and lessons learned from other countries (I will spare everyone my thoughts on increasing bicycle lanes and pedestrian malls)…
I think you will find it is very difficult to discourage Americans to drive. NYC, special as we all know it is, is still part of the US and most Americans really like their cars. The tolls will no more stop people from driving than the fare increases will stop people from riding the subways. Which brings up another point. If you actually do discourage people from using private trnsportation how will the subways handle it? They are already chuck-full. It is not as if our mass transit system is languishing from lack of use. In a big city you need all the alternatives you can get. I think we live in a profligate and wasteful city whose elected officials think that they are sitting on unlimited reserves of tax dollars. they spend our money like drunken sailors and so they need to dream up new taxes in addition to raising old ones. At some point the cycle will restart and young people will once again start fleeing the city. You don’t think history has stopped repeating itself do you?
traditionalmod….that’s exactly what I realized when I was thinking of moving to Brooklyn. Car service from Manhattan to Brooklyn is, at the most, $30. Multiply that by 365 days in the year and it’s just over $10,000. Now for starters, I’m too much of a car snob to get a car worth $10k plus the insurance would be a few thousand, a few thousand more for parking garages and/or tickets.
Not having to look for a parking spot in Brooklyn or Manhattan…priceless.
sam – easing congestion and thinking green is about the money as well, stupid.
You are never going to ease congestion or get people to be “green” unless it costs something to NOT drive (or otherwise be green).
The fact that NYC needs to balance it budget and this will help is a great by-product (or even the motivation) – but in the end it is irrelevant since the larger goal (less congestion and pollution) cannot be attained without the tax. Sort of like how the cigarette tax (and ban) has greatly reduced smoking.
Exactly Sam. Which is why I’m not for it. Squeezing more money out of some New Yorkers because of where they happen to live… doesn’t seem right. Why can’t we implement our own congestion pricing? Anyone know why we must rely on Albany legislation?
Folks, this has nothing to do with easing congestion, or thinking green, or discouraging people from driving anywhere. It is just a way to squeeze more tax dollars out of New Yorkers so City Hall can balance its budget. It’s about the money stupid.
On the Taxi issue (as well as other concerns) – I think most proposals call for Tolls on E. River Bridges during weekdays and evenings – not during weekends or late night. Obviously that could change but I do not think the cities retail establishments will be too happy with tolls that discourages people from coming to Manhattan for nightlife or shopping.
Do you know who drives to work in Manhattan? Many of the folks who work for the Transit Authority. Walk by their building, bumper to bumper towncars and SUV’s out front in reserved slots.
I bet they won’t have to pay the bridge tolls.