New York, NY – The MTA is looking to take another big bite out of commuters’ wallets Wednesday.
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The agency’s board approved proposed toll hikes at bridges and tunnels throughout New York City, including the Verrazano-Narrows, Throgs Neck, Whitestone and Triboro bridges and the Midtown and Battery tunnels.
The vote was 11-1 in favor of the toll increases, with one additional member absent.
The impact will be felt most by those motorists who do not use EZ Pass. Their roundtrip toll on the Verrazano, for example, will be $3.40 more than those who use EZ Pass.
In general, the cash tolls on the major crossings will increase by $1 on the crossings that collect one-way tolls, and by $2 on the Verrazano, which only collects a roundtrip toll.
Seventy-five percent of motorists use EZ Pass, and those motorists will see a much smaller increase of 5 percent, from $4.57 to $4.80 on the one-way tolls, and a corresponding increase on the Verrazano of 46 cents. Staten Island residents will continue to pay less.
The toll increases are set to take effect December 30.
The hikes are just part of the agency’s plan to draw more revenue and fill a reported $900 billion budget gap.
The MTA is also setting its sights on the LIRR and Metro North. The board is expected to vote on a 25-cent increase to all beer sold on the Rail Road’s Penn Station platforms and all beverages, including water and soda, on Metro North.
This is getting beyond ridiculous already. The MTA is a mismanaged incompetent agency that needs to be dismantled.
The tolls are still a bargain and the small increase will help fund the needed upgrades to the bridges and tunnels given that the state and federal budgets won’t provide the cash needed NOW for capital improvements. Also, more traffic will actually help in the long-run since it will discourage many from driving. The real answer of course is for more of us to bike to work or use mass transit.
Hey! Since when is Verrazano a round trip toll?!?!?!?! That’s funny! tomorrow it’s gonna be Pay by the foot. Only a quarter per foot! then pay by the foot round trip! that’s cheaper for ezpass than cash consumers! .0275 cents cheaper! Change lanes? hey you just got another 5 feet! that’s 1.25 extra. ate a sandwich? with butter? extra 10 cents.
Maybe they can put me on payroll? I’ll also put on a union hat, then they can give me raises, and collect the money from you! And you know what? I wont work for less than 200K a year! sooo if you dont want the union charging 500k to support me, just give it to me straight and lets keep the union out of the picture!
Reply to #1
More money is desparately needed for the MTA infrastructure. They laid off nearly 4000 employees so they have cut the fat. This toll increase is in the everyone’s interest.
the outdated bridges cost more than twice the amt other cities cost, and theres are clean, wide, and up to date
900 BILLION dollar deficit? Um, I think it should read: 900 MILLION dollar deficit (which, coincidentally, is exactly what I have in my “Matan B’seser” checking account).
the increase is so that they can continue in their as business always manner every project is running between 300 to 500 % over cost over time mismangement is rampent if they laid off 4000 they could layoff thousands of useless more
if you can not succeed with all funds you collect state city and federal hand outs as well as all the money that drivers kick in then get out of business
for to long the attitude has been the fools will pay and pay tax tax tax and they keep quite no more brake up the mta as a regional private corp its as bad as the port authority they too answer to no one
this is what i dont get. why do they charge for bridges in the first place? and how do they come up with this amount. How much can it possible cost to maintain a bridge. the bridge was built in 1964 im pretty sure we paid for the bridge and more. i looked it up. it costed 320 mill to build the bridge (2.24 billion in todays dollars). just this year if 190K cars drive over it every day at 11 bucks a pop it will earn 762.85 million dollars in just 1 year.
Hey, MTA. We are also hurting. Get your hands out of our pockets.
“$900 billion budget gap”??
What is this, the Obama administration?
Anyway, I really doubt they cut the fat. Cut out union labor – that will cut the fat.
50% of the toll collection goes to pay for the subways and bus system
Spend little liberal, spend, spend, spend. I remember when the Verrizano was built. The toll was 25 cents and they said it was temporary until the bridge is paid for. Time to through these irresponsible idiots out of office. When will people ever learn? Judging from #4 above, some fools will never learn.
I think its time to make Staten Island residents pay the same amount as all other resident do maybe then (I said maybe) they will have the funds they need