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Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,095,590 times
Reputation: 15538
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
New York, being a world city in many respects, obviously has more than its share of non-citizens for w provide services at any given time. Even though not all make heavy use of the roads in their own or rented cars, they move around by mass transit, taxis or Uber and Lyft. Also, many people, such as you, travel through New York by virtue of its central location. That is especially true of trucks and buses, which place a large burden on infrastructure.
Other states less heavily traveled presumably rely on taxes on gasoline and diesel. That source of revenue will inevitable diminish as cars get better mileage. Even if New York governments were better managers of money, the expenses would still require some way to tap visitors and outsiders for revenue.
Ultimately it is all about the money, period. The state feels it is their right to collect every nickel it can from its citizens and those who cross its borders. New York is a significant city but so are others in this country, the main difference is your union bloated contracts that drive the price up for any kind of work.
The transportation burden as you stated is only because you can't get to the New England states without passing through New York State, that's it. Most of that traffic heads through the DC metro on I95 and does so toll free as the rest of the system until you get to Florida and choose their Turnpike (tolls) over staying on I95 for free (the two parallel each other for large segments).
It is my observation that the NY government would not understand the meaning of a budget if it slapped them. Why bother when you can raise or add a tax or fee every time the Governor want to have a new project or the union wants more... The Tappan Zee bridge should have been replaced in the 80's which would have cost less so now 30 years overdue and they paid how much more?
But ultimately you like paying and complaining feel free I will do my best to avoid going through the area. As I said before I am not complaining that a bridge toll exist I object to the egregious fines that come with it.
Ultimately it is all about the money, period. The state feels it is their right to collect every nickel it can from its citizens and those who cross its borders. New York is a significant city but so are others in this country, the main difference is your union bloated contracts that drive the price up for any kind of work.
The transportation burden as you stated is only because you can't get to the New England states without passing through New York State, that's it. Most of that traffic heads through the DC metro on I95 and does so toll free as the rest of the system until you get to Florida and choose their Turnpike (tolls) over staying on I95 for free (the two parallel each other for large segments).
It's only toll-free if you take circuitous routes that avoid the Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey Turnpikes. You can actually avoid most tolls by picking up I-287 in mid-Jersey, taking it to various side-roads to get to NY Route 32 North, then taking that to a relatively minor toll on I-84 and then taking that to Massachusetts' Route 9, which bypasses the tolled Massachusetts Turnpike. Not worth the trouble. P.S. you can even take Route 32 North to Route 2 East, and then taking that across the Bay State. Not worth the trouble.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA Yankee
It is my observation that the NY government would not understand the meaning of a budget if it slapped them. Why bother when you can raise or add a tax or fee every time the Governor want to have a new project or the union wants more... The Tappan Zee bridge should have been replaced in the 80's which would have cost less so now 30 years overdue and they paid how much more?
I agree on all of that.
But ultimately you like paying and complaining feel free I will do my best to avoid going through the area. As I said before I am not complaining that a bridge toll exist I object to the egregious fines that come with it.[/quote]Please read Why Not Workfare? and Build a New Hudson River Tunnel - A Thread that Will Anger Left and Right before telling me what my positions are.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,095,590 times
Reputation: 15538
I will have to read your OP ED piece over the weekend. I agree the NJT is just as bad but at least they continue to improve/expand it as demand grows. Taking the 2 lanes north on the Thruway is painful and the overpriced rest areas only make it worse. You commented above "Other states less heavily traveled presumably rely on taxes on gasoline and diesel", gas prices jump @.35¢ a gallon when you enter NY. Where is all that money going to?
Delaware is a joke but you get through it quickly and MD only has one toll on the bridge $8.00 round trip. You may pay a tunnel toll if you choose that route but you don't need to.
So it seems we agree on many points, in looking up the toll on the Verrazano I see that out of state ez-pass users are charged an additional $5.50. Just another example of a corrupt money hungry state government who is in bed with organized crime, I mean the unions.
[quote=VA Yankee;50902742]I will have to read your OP ED piece over the weekend. [\quote]Not Op-Eds, Opening Posts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA Yankee
I agree the NJT is just as bad but at least they continue to improve/expand it as demand grows. Taking the 2 lanes north on the Thruway is painful and the overpriced rest areas only make it worse.
The Harriman-Route 17 exit area was expanded. Also, the Thruway did expand stretches leading west from Albany to the I-88 split to three lanes. I spend a lot of time in that area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA Yankee
You commented above "Other states less heavily traveled presumably rely on taxes on gasoline and diesel", gas prices jump @.35¢ a gallon when you enter NY. Where is all that money going to?
Not any more. The jump coming in from New Jersey, except in one small area near Mahwah and Suffern is about $0.10. My son, who goes to college in Bethlehem, pays the same if not more for gas as we do in Westchester. The difference between Vermont and Massachusetts is about $0.12. And gas costs more over the Connecticut border, about 300 yards from my house.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA Yankee
Delaware is a joke but you get through it quickly and MD only has one toll on the bridge $8.00 round trip. You may pay a tunnel toll if you choose that route but you don't need to.
Isn't Maryland's a variable, distance-based toll as is the Jersey Turnpike and New York State Thruway? I may be wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA Yankee
So it seems we agree on many points, in looking up the toll on the Verrazano I see that out of state ez-pass users are charged an additional $5.50. Just another example of a corrupt money hungry state government who is in bed with organized crime, I mean the unions.
The Verrazano is a one-way toll, double that of the Whitestone, Midtown Tunnel, Brooklyn Battery and Throgs Neck (the other 'major crossings') are round trip tolls.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,095,590 times
Reputation: 15538
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
The Harriman-Route 17 exit area was expanded. Also, the Thruway did expand stretches leading west from Albany to the I-88 split to three lanes. I spend a lot of time in that area.
Not any more. The jump coming in from New Jersey, except in one small area near Mahwah and Suffern is about $0.10. My son, who goes to college in Bethlehem, pays the same if not more for gas as we do in Westchester. The difference between Vermont and Massachusetts is about $0.12. And gas costs more over the Connecticut border, about 300 yards from my house.
Isn't Maryland's a variable, distance-based toll as is the Jersey Turnpike and New York State Thruway? I may be wrong.
The Verrazano is a one-way toll, double that of the Whitestone, Midtown Tunnel, Brooklyn Battery and Throgs Neck (the other 'major crossings') are round trip tolls.
I don't know where you get your gas prices but looking online just now there is about a .40$ difference crossing from NJ to NY. No Maryland is not a Variable toll, other than bridge / optional tunnel/bridge on I95 there are no tolls.
I know the Verrazano is a round trip toll as are the others in the NY Metro but charging more because a driver has an out of state ez-pass? What's the excuse it cost too much to collect the toll....
I don't know where you get your gas prices but looking online just now there is about a .40$ difference crossing from NJ to NY.
I just checked Speedway's website. It shows that one station in Fort Lee, New Jersey is $2.639 and another $2.679. The station in Mamaroneck, New York is $2.699, Tarrytown, New York $2.739 and at least one of the stations in Bronx, New York $2.739. It is always best to use the same brand for comparison, where possible. The company sets prices in a manner to keep just under the average price for the area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA Yankee
I know the Verrazano is a round trip toll as are the others in the NY Metro but charging more because a driver has an out of state ez-pass? What's the excuse it cost too much to collect the toll....
The Verrazano is double-toll one way. I am not sure about an out-of-state penalty, but New Jersey has those also.
I don't know where you get your gas prices but looking online just now there is about a .40$ difference crossing from NJ to NY. No Maryland is not a Variable toll, other than bridge / optional tunnel/bridge on I95 there are no tolls.
I know the Verrazano is a round trip toll as are the others in the NY Metro but charging more because a driver has an out of state ez-pass? What's the excuse it cost too much to collect the toll....
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
I just checked Speedway's website. It shows that one station in Fort Lee, New Jersey is $2.639 and another $2.679. The station in Mamaroneck, New York is $2.699, Tarrytown, New York $2.739 and at least one of the stations in Bronx, New York $2.739. It is always best to use the same brand for comparison, where possible. The company sets prices in a manner to keep just under the average price for the area.
The Verrazano is double-toll one way. I am not sure about an out-of-state penalty, but New Jersey has those also.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,095,590 times
Reputation: 15538
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
I just checked Speedway's website. It shows that one station in Fort Lee, New Jersey is $2.639 and another $2.679. The station in Mamaroneck, New York is $2.699, Tarrytown, New York $2.739 and at least one of the stations in Bronx, New York $2.739. It is always best to use the same brand for comparison, where possible. The company sets prices in a manner to keep just under the average price for the area.
The Verrazano is double-toll one way. I am not sure about an out-of-state penalty, but New Jersey has those also.
All the river crossings are double toll, your paying round trip, Verrazano charges more for out of state
Ez-Passes . "2 - E-ZPass rates apply to New York Customer Service Center (NYCSC) E-ZPass customers only. Non-NYCSC customers pay Tolls by Mail rates.
All the river crossings are double toll, your paying round trip, Verrazano charges more for out of state
Ez-Passes . "2 - E-ZPass rates apply to New York Customer Service Center (NYCSC) E-ZPass customers only. Non-NYCSC customers pay Tolls by Mail rates.
It's insane that they charge more to out of state EZPass holders than to in-state EZPass holders. When EZPass was introduced many years ago, one of its greatest selling points was that you could use it in any state that accepts EZPass. Now, in order to get the EZPass price, you need to have one issued by whoever owns the bridge, regardless of where you actually reside.
It's insane that they charge more to out of state EZPass holders than to in-state EZPass holders. When EZPass was introduced many years ago, one of its greatest selling points was that you could use it in any state that accepts EZPass. Now, in order to get the EZPass price, you need to have one issued by whoever owns the bridge, regardless of where you actually reside.
A major step backwards for interstate travel.
New York was one of the last to do this.
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