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NY State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith voiced his support for $2 tolls on East River and Harlem River bridges, a proposal from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. However Smith did add, "If reducing the proposed East River Bridges toll results in higher fare increases, fewer service add-ons and layoffs, then it may not achieve the intended goals any toll would have to meet for it to be a prudent option."
The plan would generate revenue for the debt-ridden MTA, which has been threatening a 23% fare hike and service cuts. A proposal from the Ravitch Commission suggested putting a $5 toll on the now free bridges ($5 is what the state bridges charge) to help the MTA's coffers. Silver offered up the $2 middle ground toll, noting that it's the same fare as the (current) subway and bus ride.
Some officials slammed Silver's idea. For instance, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who is "flabbergasted" that bridge tolls are still on the table, worries that once these tolls are imposed, the next time the MTA is in trouble, they'll just increase them (Markowitz prefers a commuter tax). And many Senate Democrats are skeptical—Senator Jeff Klein of the Bronx said to the Daily News, "I think that the Democratic conference still has a lot of unanswered questions. We were told last week that it had to be $5 in order to avoid a fare increase and add bus service."
The AP reports that Governor Paterson and the Legislature are currently working things out in "hopes to have a deal that can be passed in the Legislature by the end of the next week and Paterson could sign into law soon after." Also, the Senate will also post the drafted legislation for public comment on a website—www.nymtaideas.org (we except the comments to be much like the ones for the budget). And one driver told the Post, "If it's going to save the MTA, then $2 isn't that bad an idea. But $5? Wow! That's a lot of money for people."
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What does Markowitz do again? Is all he is capable of is becoming "flabbergasted"?
And how many millions of dollars will this plan cost to implement?
Everyone knows they're going to implement the tolls AND raise the subway fares, right? No one is that naive, I hope.
Can anyone say- Higher Crime Rate?
How exactly will tolls on the bridges lead to a higher crime rate?
it's a quality of life scenario... lemme guess, you were born in the 80's???
Why don't they make it $3 to give people a little more incentive to ride the subway?
Agreed. Hell, make it $4, since at this point the subway fare is probably going to have to go up to $3 no matter what.
I would like to know how they plan on collecting the tolls.
High-speed, electronic toll collection.
Why are the outer-borough pols still using the lame excuse that bridge tolls will hurt lower-income families?! The majority of lower income families do not own cars and thus ride the subways and buses. Not tolling the bridges will hurt these people far more than tolling them will.
Not for nothing, but Staten Islanders are looking at a $20 round trip into the city if they drive. For anyone not living right near the ferry, getting into Manhattan by car is one of very few reasonable options.
*sigh*