Hemming and Hawing
Last winter, the Downtown Express asked eight elected officials to comment
on Mayor Bloomberg's interest in tolling the East River bridge tolls.
Reactions ranged from spurious concerns (over pollution and traffic
backups
from new toll booths, even though none would be required) to unfeasible or
failed alternatives (like increased state subsidies to reduce bus and
subway fares). Not one official endorsed bridge tolls outright and
promised
to fight for them.
Here are excerpts from their statements. The full statements are in the
article, "Downtowners split on East River bridge tolls," by
Lincoln
Anderson, March 06, 2002, March 5-11, 2002 print edition.
We at www.bridgetolls.org have written to all eight, inviting them to
update their
remarks. We encourage you to do the same.
NYC Councilmember Alan Gerson (1st District, lower Manhattan)
"I oppose the mayor's proposal to establish tolls for general
revenue purposes, unlike tolls that are recycled into public
transportation uses. Beyond that, it's premature [to take a
position]. The concern I have with tolls is it could create
congestion and pollution, which we see at tollbooths, even with
EZ Pass. A bridge is really an artificial place to do a toll."
NYC Councilmember Margarita Lopez (2nd District, lower east
side)
"Absolutely no! If we have to deal with the budget issue, the
way to deal with it is not putting tolls on the East River bridges.
I think this idea is put out there to entertain the fantasy of people."
NY State Assembly Speaker Silver (62nd A.D., lower east side)
"We have seen these ideas in various and sundry news articles [recently].
But until we get specific proposals we're not in a position to comment.
Commenting in the abstract doesn't do anything. These are just ideas that
are under consideration." (via spokesperson Skip Carrier)
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
"It's discriminating against Brooklyn. We'd be paying most of [the tolls].
It's a commuter tax against Brooklynites. Are they going to put these toll
plazas on the Manhattan side of the bridges? Are they going to put toll
plazas on Canal St. or by City Hall? The borough president understands the
city's fiscal situation. But there's got to be a way to share the pain and
do this equitably. Three of the four bridges are in Brooklyn. This is not
fair to have us bail out the rest of the city." (via spokesperson Glenn
Nostitz)
U.S. Congressmember Jerrold Nadler (8th C.D., parts of Brooklyn and
Manhattan)
"I think the odds of it passing are about zero - which
is why
I'm not commenting on it. Every City Councilmember and every State
Legislator from Queens and Brooklyn is going to oppose it. Every State
Legislator from Suffolk and Nassau
counties is going to oppose it."
NY State Assemblymember Richard Gottfried (64th A.D., west
side)
"I have some problems with the tolling of bridges. Certainly, the traffic
backup that would come from it would be considerable even with E-Z Pass,
as
would pollution. And I think there's a legitimate fairness question: Why
should people going to work who enter from the Brooklyn Bridge pay a toll,
whereas people
going to work who drive down Columbus Ave. would not have to pay a toll?
It's just an accident of geography, a river. Why wouldn't we put
tollbooths
at 59th St.? What's the justification for tolling the bridges but not the
avenues? I think if the mayor proposed tolling the avenues heading to the
business district, I think you'd find a lot of Manhattanites against it.
[Instead, we
should] dramatically increase state subsidies for mass transit to bring
down fares and increase service. I think that's the most encouraging way
to
get people out of their cars and take the subway."
NY State Senator Tom Duane (27th E.D., west side)
"E-Z Pass was supposed to reduce traffic. It's not supposed to be a
law-enforcement system for traffic or anyone else, a tracking system. We
have to look at all the possibilities. I don't want to penalize New York
City residents that want to drive in or out of Manhattan. But I do want to
toll trucks that come in over the Manhattan Bridge to use the free Holland
Tunnel. Also, tolls could potentially back traffic up into Manhattan.
Unfortunately, New Yorkers are Americans, too, and love to use their cars.
And mass transit is not always that reliable."
NY State Assemblymember Deborah Glick (66th A.D., lower Manhattan)
did not
return several calls for comment.
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