Gothamist: MTA: City Must Pay for E-ZPass

Snoopy

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:13:09 -0500

It's similar to the argument that the Department of Sanitation used to try to get free employee parking at the proposed garage on Spring Street because when we have heavy snow storm the drivers need a place to park. Yeah sure, all two days out of the year. And if the trucks are out plowing and salting there should be mpty spots in the garage. The city thinks in strange ways.

Snoopy

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:09:48 -0500

I still don't think this applies to emergency vehicles, only private cars.

jibbly

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:43:07 -0500

#2 & 3: Uh what? Emergency vehicles would have unfettered access to the bridges and tunnels, the only difference now would be they would get a bill at the end of the month. In addition, this doesn't just cover critical emergency vehicles, it also makes sure when these city employees want to come into Manhattan to go shopping on a Sunday afternoon they'll have to pay up instead of getting a free pass because they have a city issued EZPass in their private cars.

Snoopy

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:38:28 -0500

Where does it say that emergency vehicles were required to pay the tolls? It's the cops, firemen and other city workers that were getting the free EZ pass using their own private cars. It's bad enough they get free parking around their police stations and fire houses. That is the next thing that should be eliminated.

Toby von Meistersinger

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:08:08 -0500

Quite simply tell the MTA to go to hell and if they want to stop police, fire and EMS vehicles on bridges arrest the MTA board for interfering with the police, fire or EMS after the first time they stop an emergency vehicle. Or let a fire in a tunnel or bridge burn itself out. And there is always eminent domain.

sadpanda

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:49:05 -0500

awesome. I can see the headlines now: "Man Dies Because His Ambulance was Stopped at Tollbooth due to Low Balance on E-ZPass"

ides_of_march

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:19:37 -0500

How about making the head of the MTA have to be elected by the people?