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In 2013, NYCT served little more than 1.7 billion riders. Taking into account that fares are now $2.50, that is a subsidy of $.31 per rider. That is $521 million. Taxes NYC residents alone pay would cover that, and then some.
Over the past 2 decades, NYCT has been steady reducing its subsidies. I don't think it's feasible to completely eliminate it's subsidies without making it too expensive for poor NYers (unless the MTA manages to make real estate work for them, like Hong Kong's system,) but you can't say that it's the 31 cent subsidy per rider that is the problem.
The problem with set fees is that set fees do not account for inflation, and that transportation is not created equal. There is no mode of transportation as efficient as the subway. It moves the most amount of people with minimum resources. Just try and move 1.7 billion people a year in NYC with car infrastructure alone, as you'll see massive gridlock. That means we need to invest more in certain transit over others. At moment, the subway system barely operates in a state of good repair. It's bursting at the seems, and the there's no money for improvement. We can't keep minimally investing in the system.
A good part of the problem is that the MTA is too big, mismanaged and full of redundancies.
well looky here we have an extremely informative post thank you very much sir well said
The Hudson River tolls are generally a slush fund for the New Jersey governor via the Port Authority. Very very little of it actually goes towards maintenance of those crossings
And then the following bridges do not charge any tolls at all (many though not all of these appear to be run by the New York State Dept. of Transportation or DOT): Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Roosevelt Island Bridge, Rikers Island Bridge,Willis Ave. Bridge, Third Ave. Bridge, and a host of other bridges large and small. Yet don't these ALSO need to be maintained, fixed, and upgraded? So why do they get to operate with no toll revenue?
I don't know if anyone have noticed this, but as a general rule at least in NYC itself the bridges with tolls often are on some sort of highway. Not all of these types of bridges have tolls (thinking of the I-95 bridge that unites Manhattan and The Bronx in the Washington Heights area doesn't have a toll), but most do.
I can't think of any bridge that isn't connecting 2 highways (or the same highway on both ends of the bridge) that has a toll.
I'm not entirely sure about the situation with the tunnels as I hardly use them. A long time ago I used the Lincoln Tunnel, a handful of times used the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and once by mistake ended up using the Battery Tunnel thinking it was the other tunnel that goes around the southern tip of Manhattan. Oops! Only used once the Bruckner Ave tunnel in The Bronx. I can't remember which tunnels had a toll and which didn't, except I remember paying a toll after using the Queens-Midtown and there was no toll on the Bruckner Ave tunnel nor on the tunnel that circles the southern end of Manhattan.
Edit to add: I have also used on many occasions what I think are tunnels crossing Central Park in Manhattan. None had tolls.
Question: Why do some NYC METRO AREA bridges, tunnels, and highways charge tolls (and often, though not always, rather high tolls or tolls which add up to high if making a round trip) yet others never charge ANY tolls or NOMINAL tolls? And yet a host of others are totally free-of-charge?
This may or may not be perceived as a complaint (per se). It just impresses me as such a hodge-podge of policies. I mean there may be a legitimate justification to have to charge tolls (for maintenance, upkeep, and upgrades to said bridges, tunnels or highways). Yet, if that is the case, why don't they ALL charge such tolls (for they ALL need to be regularly maintained, fixed, upgraded, et al)? And then these often enough are not nominal tolls like $1.50 or $2.00 or $2.50 (though sometimes they are) but rather quite much more-- even for single cars --and often ever-increasing over the course of time. What is the logic and reasoning behind not having a consistent policy for all of them or nearly so? What is the rhyme or reason as to how the bridges, tunnels, and highways serving the greater New York City metro area are administered toll-wise (to charge or not to charge, and then how much to charge)?
And what would be a consistent policy? I don't know. Just off the top of my head:
Don't charge tolls for ANY of them but have them subsidized by a general tax-based fund ... whether a single state fund or a bi-state or tri-state fund or a federal fund or some combination. OR
Charge tolls for ALL of them but keep it reasonable for ALL of them (e.g., not $14.00 per crossing a bridge for a car but perhaps $2.50 ... and buses carrying any number of passengers and tractor trailers can be assessed somewhat more. OR
Only charge tolls for ONE-WAY but not for the return trip but still keep it reasonable.
or whatever other variations.
So the following bridges and tunnels (all controlled by the Port Authority of NY and NJ) do charge tolls: George Washington Bridge, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing. For the exact tolls, see Tolls - Bridges & Tunnels - The Port Authority of NY & NJ.
And then the following bridges and tunnels (all controlled by the Metropolitan Transit Authority or MTA) do charge tolls: Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, RFK (formerly Triborough) Bridges; Hugh Carey (formerly Brooklyn-Battery) Tunnel, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Cross Bay and Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridges. for the exact tolls, see mta.info | MTA Bridges and Tunnels' Toll Cars.
And then the following bridges do not charge any tolls at all (many though not all of these appear to be run by the New York State Dept. of Transportation or DOT): Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Roosevelt Island Bridge, Rikers Island Bridge,Willis Ave. Bridge, Third Ave. Bridge, and a host of other bridges large and small. Yet don't these ALSO need to be maintained, fixed, and upgraded? So why do they get to operate with no toll revenue?
And then the following highways in the New York City metro area do charge tolls: New York State Thruway, New Jersey Turnpike, et al.
Yet the following highways do not charge tolls (unless I am mistaken on some): Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway, South State Parkway, Van Wyck Expressway, Grand Central Parkway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Cross Bronx Expressway. Yet don't these ALSO need to be maintained, fixed, and upgraded? So why do they get to operate with no toll revenue?
In summary, such a hodge-podge of policies. And I haven't even named every single bridge and tunnel and highway serving the greater Downstate New York Metro Area (i.e., NYC, Long Island, Northern NJ, the counties of the Lower Hudson Valley, western or southwestern Connecticut). And even the ones not named, taken together, have a hodge-podge of policies.
You answered your own question. Different facilities owned and operated by different agencies and authorities with different revenue sources and programs.
Some roads and bridges are paid for with tax revenue. Others, like the Port Authority, cannot receive or use any tax money by law and so have to raise money for projects by issuing bonds. The revenue supports the maintenance and pays back the bondholders.
So the question you first ask is, who owns this bridge or road? Then, what are their revenue sources?
I don't know if anyone have noticed this, but as a general rule at least in NYC itself the bridges with tolls often are on some sort of highway. Not all of these types of bridges have tolls (thinking of the I-95 bridge that unites Manhattan and The Bronx in the Washington Heights area doesn't have a toll), but most do.
I can't think of any bridge that isn't connecting 2 highways (or the same highway on both ends of the bridge) that has a toll.
I'm not entirely sure about the situation with the tunnels as I hardly use them. A long time ago I used the Lincoln Tunnel, a handful of times used the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and once by mistake ended up using the Battery Tunnel thinking it was the other tunnel that goes around the southern tip of Manhattan. Oops! Only used once the Bruckner Ave tunnel in The Bronx. I can't remember which tunnels had a toll and which didn't, except I remember paying a toll after using the Queens-Midtown and there was no toll on the Bruckner Ave tunnel nor on the tunnel that circles the southern end of Manhattan.
Edit to add: I have also used on many occasions what I think are tunnels crossing Central Park in Manhattan. None had tolls.
Virtually all of NYC bridges now connect or go through some tolls starting in May when the congestion tax goes into affect. Covering the remaining bridges such as the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Manhattan bridge now will incur congestion tax upon entry per day. Prior to congestion tax they are toll free.
Now if you are foolish enough to go through the Queens midtown and Staten Island tunnel you will incur additional tolls.
There are no more bridges that do not get tolled upon entry during work day. More reasons people should work remotely or take mass transit.
Virtually all of NYC bridges now connect or go through some tolls starting in May when the congestion tax goes into affect. Covering the remaining bridges such as the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Manhattan bridge now will incur congestion tax upon entry per day. Prior to congestion tax they are toll free.
Now if you are foolish enough to go through the Queens midtown and Staten Island tunnel you will incur additional tolls.
There are no more bridges that do not get tolled upon entry during work day. More reasons people should work remotely or take mass transit.
All NYC bridges?
Even bridges such as the Third Avenue Bridge, the University Heights Bridge and/or the Broadway Bridge among others?
I thought the congestion tax was only to entering the lower half of Manhattan even in common city streets?
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