Majority of Readers Opposed to Bridge Tolls
Although the pro-toll crowd dominated in the comments section, the people have spoken: According to our poll yesterday, roughly 2/3 of readers are opposed to charging drivers to cross the Brooklyn, Manhattan and W’burg bridges. Guess Marty’s on the right side of this one.
Although the pro-toll crowd dominated in the comments section, the people have spoken: According to our poll yesterday, roughly 2/3 of readers are opposed to charging drivers to cross the Brooklyn, Manhattan and W’burg bridges. Guess Marty’s on the right side of this one.
putting a toll on the bridges inside the city is very elitist. Effectivly reducing ease of access and general fluidity of movement to the wealthier.
When your proposing tolls as a way to make YOUR neighberhood nicer and increasing YOUR property value, its even more elitist and really an inverse form of NIMBYism.
Double the complications of living on an island which is best connected to the mainland through ANOTHER island…. but hey paying 2 tolls in the SAME CITY is awesome great right!!?
I wont even begin to mention the Cab fares.
I don’t have a car, i prefer the bike where my awesome subway access doesnt cover things… but i still see how wrong and greedy the toll would be.
I rent cars (when i need them) in manhattan (access and availability is FAR better there for rentals), so now i should pay a double toll to get to my apartment and go wherever i need to go? Not to mention some car companies (hertz & dollar) charge a 55$ fee if you live in the outer boroughs.
not to mention a toll would only diminish brooklyn’s “up-scale” neighborhoods (potential home buyers would have yet another financial reason to prefer manhattan), and further divide the city into poor and rich areas.
we really should be trying to keep our WHOLE city as integrated as possible, with as few barriers as we can feasibly support.
This of course doesnt stand so well when talking about the verazano. That bridge is HUGE, and services a bourogh that should be part of new jersey.
why do we keep encouraging taxes on people who dont live in manhhatan?
–lionballs
Many on this blog believe that people should pay for the privilige of driving on streets in Manhattan. While this idea works in oligarchies like Singapore and class-oriented places like England (if the common folk get off the streets, the persons of quality will make faster progress) it will not work in an egalitarian country like the US. The notion that the poor should be shooed-off the streets by high tolls so that the fat cats have an easier and faster commutes will not gain wide political acceptance.
I also sense that people are getting pretty fed up with bicycle lobby dictating how people should and should not get around town.
It’s not exactly a new idea. all the tolled bridges and tunnels we have now are public streets
A $10 ride doesn’t go to $15 goes to $18.30 because cabs require you pay tolls both ways. Proposal is with easy pass $4.+ each way and $5 without.
I love the idea that driving on a public street is now seen as some sort of privilige to pay for. So ridiculous. Woe to any politician who imposes tolls on the east river bridges. They will never win another election again. Here or anywhere.
First time we’ve ever discussed herpes here I believe.
The problem is once these tolls are put up it will be forever. It is like herpes, once you get it, its for ever
Honestly, the deciding factor for me on this one is the thought that my 10 dollar cab ride would instantly turn into a 15 dollar cab ride. Which sucks. Unless the toll would only happen during business hours.
I just don’t know if I can stomach that taxi fare increase. Especially because I only take cabs late at night, when the trains run less, and now they’ll be running EVEN LESS with these cutbacks. WTF! Guess that means I won’t be going out in manhattan ever again.
ahhhh, because there are more car owners here than not mister brownstoner. obviously they would say no. marty is NOT right on this, and neither are you