Get Rid of the TOLLS (Holland: purchases, taxes, live)

[mead]

Yeah take the bus or the train like a normal person. The tolls are high for a reason. The government doesn't want random day trippers to drive into the CBD of Manhattan and cause even more congestion than there already is.

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

I'm frankly delighted that the tolls serve as a deterrent to those planning to drive into Manhattan. It's crowded enough with cars.

just another odd assumption!
just what makes you assume that every car that crosses a bridge or tunnel is headed into manhattan?

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by mead

Yeah take the bus or the train like a normal person. The tolls are high for a reason. The government doesn't want random day trippers to drive into the CBD of Manhattan and cause even more congestion than there already is.

who decides what is normal? you? I don't think so

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by apvbguy

just another odd assumption!
just what makes you assume that every car that crosses a bridge or tunnel is headed into manhattan?

No, it's not an 'odd assumption.' MOST of the bridges and tunnels with tolls (except for the Whitestone/Throgs Neck bridges) connect somewhere with Manhattan. Makes complete, logical sense.

[SilkCity0416]

look. We all hate tolls, but they are a necessary evil. With out them, people would just cram the city with SUVs; Manhattan doesn't need that kind of congestion. Like I always say, Manhattan is just a tiny island of over 1.5 million people (more than the city of Philadelphia). That population explodes to more than double that amount during the average work day (more than Chicago). Public transportation is the only viable way of getting around NYC (especially the borough of Manhattan.) NYC has more mass transit than anywhere in America. If you don't like shelling out 8 bucks for a toll, don't drive to New York; it is that simple. Tolls help pay for infrastructure, too. We all don't want to see the GEB, Lincoln, Holland, etc go to the wayside.

[Carbro]

Originally Posted by RadioHead

haha yea welcome to nyc - you can thank spitzer (ny) and corzine (nj) for their stupidity!

Oh, come on! My family moved to NJ in 1955, and wheneve we came to the city to visit Grandma, we paid a toll to enter the Lincoln Tunnel coming in, then again to leave going back. In 1955, Corzine and Spitzer had nothing to do with it.

Originally Posted by RadioHead

Whats ironic to me is how after 9/11 people were offering dicounted tickets on broadway and nyc government officials were begging pple to come to town, now its the complete opposite!

No, we have entered an inflationary cycle, and prices are just rising. You can still find good discounts to theater and concerts. Plenty of on-line services like Playbill.com, TicketWatch, BroadwayBox, TheaterMania, etc., etc., etc.

You want to avoid a toll? Come in on a train or a bus!

Originally Posted by Viralmd

I'm frankly delighted that the tolls serve as a deterrent to those planning to drive into Manhattan. It's crowded enough with cars.

Really. It's less expensive, especially after figuring in for the garage. People can use the travel time constructively (working, reading, knitting, even watching videos on their phones) instead of cursing at the traffic which they are contributing to. And they do just a little bit to cut down on pollution, global warming and demand for (therefore price of) gasoline. It all adds up.

As for congestion pricing, the entire bridge/tunnel toll is deducted from the cost of entering the zone, so it's not a double whammy, even though I think it probably should be.

[DITC]

haha NO TOLLS ARE YOU SERIOUS. It would take 8 hours to get from Morristown to Hempstead on a Saturday.

Tolls are not only implemented for revenue, but also for economic reasons. Remember, everyone values a trip on a toll road/bridge/tunnel differently to their individual situation. If a toll doubles, a joyrider may say forget about it but the commuter will pay no matter what. Raising tolls weeds out those who do not need to travel on a toll road, therefore traffic decreases and those who NEED the road have an easier commute.

[sirtiger]

if tolls cost so much, why are the DAMM TUNNELS STILL JAMMED UP THE WHAAZOOO?!?!!?

I wonder if gas hits $10 a gallon, will there be lotsa cars on the road? I bet we all still sit in massive trafiic jams.

[Guywithacause]

If $10 a gallon takes hold we will be worrying about far worse things than traffic. And for the record, I think ALL bridges and tunnels should be at whatever cost to ensure that people take mass transit and stop driving into the city. The whole area should be one big fussgangerzone.

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

If $10 a gallon takes hold we will be worrying about far worse things than traffic. And for the record, I think ALL bridges and tunnels should be at whatever cost to ensure that people take mass transit and stop driving into the city. The whole area should be one big fussgangerzone.

i actually think all tolls should be imposed on anything going/leaving manhattan......of course i would miss the 59th street bridge but hey i would just charge it to the game.