Wednesday, February 18, 2015

New congestion tax proposed

From the Daily News:

The “Move NY” plan would put $8 tolls — or $5.54 with E-ZPass — on the four East River bridges, and charge drivers the same amount to cross 60th St. in Manhattan in either direction.

But unlike the congestion pricing plan that failed under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, it would also cut outer borough drivers a break by cutting tolls by $2.50 on the Verrazano, Triborough, Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges, and $1 on the Henry Hudson, Cross Bay and Marine Parkway bridges.

Backers say the plan will generate $1.5 billion a year in new cash.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

It'll never be as low as 5.54, because it will be matched to the MTA tunnel tolls. If they start working now it won't be ready in two years when the MTA raises tolls again.

Ms. Tsouris said...

This sounds like Manhattancentric idiocy. Cars will have to line up to go through a toll on these bridges? Have any of these brilliant legislators ever driven over any these bridges? I can't see this as being doable.

Anonymous said...

Got to find more ways to take your money Suckers

Anonymous said...

Cashless open air tolls Ms Tsouris. EZPass or you get the bill in the mail.

Higher tolls when and where transit is plentiful, lower tolls over the other bridges. Sounds good to me.

Anonymous said...

The only thing this will do is make goods more expensive. Truck tolls aren't going to be discounted the way car tolls are.

Anonymous said...

MTA won't send debt from unpaid tolls to collections if you have a connecticut license plate. Hope they fix that by the time this get implemented.

Anonymous said...

I hope the use the new toll money to build more pedestrian walkways and add more bike lanes.

Anonymous said...

Yeh, right. If anyone believes the tolls on the other bridges will be rolled back , then I have a bridge to sell you.

Anonymous said...

Who in the world is ever going to believe that the MTA will lower the tolls on the other tunnels and bridges as a result of this outrageous plan? For hor how long? Two years? The car haters and the inefficient MTA will never stop there. How much more expensive will living in NYC get? Should we pay a toll for breathing, too? The subways are packed. How will the additional subway riders travel? More taxes and less quality of life, and they wonder why NY's population keeps getting smaller.

Anonymous said...

This will negatively affect only middle class new Yorkers who have to trek 5 days a week to go to work. And yet apartments like the one that just sold for $100million dollars pay just $17k instead of $350,000 in property tax thanks to the 421a tax abatements for luxury developers. Says it all really when one wonders where politicians priorities are.http://ny.curbed.com/tags/tax-abatements

Anonymous said...

They always try to sell this crap by saying they will lower tolls in the outer boros. They will lower the toll for a year and raise it right back up. Anyone who supports this is a complete idiot. There is more than enough money out there for transit but it is being used for complete nonsense.

Anonymous said...

"Backers say the plan will generate $1.5 billion a year in new cash."
-----------
That's coming from us!

Anonymous said...

If we deport all the thousands of illegals here we will reduce congestion on our roads, buses, and trains and all the wasted money used on giving illegals government service could be redirected to maintaining infrastructure and building transit. Problem solved without more tolls.

JQ said...

has anyone ever took a page from all those immigrants heading to our shores?Why don't people just go to home depot and get doors for rafts and shovels for paddles.

sure beats paying tolls and congestion traffic.also less carbon being expelled,so it's good for the environment.

with this plan,who needs ferries too?

Anonymous said...

Don't be fooled people, the city saying they will lower tolls on some bridges.....that will work for maybe 1 or 2 years then BAM!!! toll increase to bring them back to where they should be.

If anyone goes for this plan because of the decrease then I must say...."I HAVE A BRIDGE TO SELL YOU".

Unknown said...

New York is the only city that charges you money TO DRIVE WITHIN CITY LIMITS. ITS THE ALL ONE DAM CITY!!

georgetheatheist said...

Mark Weprin is one of the leading Queens jerks who is out front supporting this.

Am I right or wrong? The tolls would be collected on the Manhattan side of the East River so traffic doesn't back up in Queens or Brooklyn. (Yeah, right.)

Anonymous said...

Curb over development, and there is an end to city congestion. Ah, but that would cost the real estate industry money. They would rather rob the middle class by imposing new taxes, tolls and congestion pricing. We need not worry about robbing "the poor". They are busy robbibg the middle class by remaining perpetually on the dole.

Anonymous said...

It was Robert Moses that encouraged automobile use by building bridges and road systems. Maybe it's time to convert all this space into parkland and ban the use of cars. Build better public transport for a greener NYC. Too late for that...it was in jest.

Jerry Rotondi said...

If we are going to impose tolls between the boroughs then maybe we should dissolve Greater New York...go back to the 1890s...and each borough can be its own city. In the old days New York meant Manhattan and did not include Brooklyn or Queens. All of you separatists out there should agree with me. Well, never mind, it would cost us a bundle in increased taxes to make Queens another city. How about creating a state out of Long Island which includes Brooklyn and Queens? Comparing our size to Manhattan..."Our island is bigger than yours"....would be the new motto.

Anonymous said...

don't see why we should pay for the subway or LIRR while some of us get a free ride driving over bridges that the rest of us have to pay for.

No to congestion pricing but i don't have a problem with at least one way tolls on the east river bridges. a lot of people get off the LIE and clog up traffic to get onto the Koch Bridge and then create a traffic jam on the east side.

Anonymous said...

Yawn. I think talk of this goes back before the promises of a Second Avenue Subway-- sometime in the 1940s. Next.

Anonymous said...

NY needs more cattle cars period..

Anonymous said...

Let's let the people decide. Have the voters vote yes or no. After all, they are the ones that have to pay. Government is practically kicking the middle class out of NYC. I thought tolls on bridges were a temporary thing until the bridge was paid for. They've been paid for millions of times over, yet the powers that be can't find the money to maintain them.

Anonymous said...

And where will the cash be used? Can we audit them and ask them to account for all the funds?

Anonymous said...

And where will the cash be used? Can we audit them and ask them to account for all the funds?

Anonymous said...

If you're middle class and driving into Manhattan everyday by yourself, you're doing it wrong.

Anonymous said...

This unquestionably must go to a referendum vote by the people.

Anonymous said...

Boneheaded idea by environmentalist, bicycle lobby and politicians who have too much time on their hands.

Anonymous said...

If transportation alternatives is in favor of this you KNOW it's going to fail...

Anonymous said...

Yeah lower prices please. Look at the Verrazano Bridge what is like $16. They just want more money so they can pay their train drivers $100,000 a year. Have a friend who does it and with all the overtime makes a killing.

Anonymous said...

Anon: lots of teachers and other mid/upper mid class gov employees who work in Manhattan get free parking.

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 31:

The toll on the Verrazano Bridge is $16.00 because the elected officials on Staten Island thought that it would be a great idea to have one-way tolls. In effect, anyone who uses MTA bridges and tunnels in both directions is paying $16.00. Too much, of course, but Staten Island is not being singled out.

Anonymous said...

Those high tolls to Staten Island is one way of keeping poorer classes (of darker hues) out of that borough. Da mob has spoken...my fellow goombahs.