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Silver Backs Tolls for East River Bridges
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 26, 2009
Modified Feb 26, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 26, 2009
Modified Feb 26, 2009
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With the MTA's finances in desperate, dire shape, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has "proposed a compromise on Wednesday that endorses putting tolls on the bridges over the East River and the Harlem River," the NY Times reports. The idea to toll the currently free bridges came up last November, but opposition from drivers has been fierce. Silver offered a compromise to charge $2 tolls to drivers—which is what subway and bus riders pay—and said, Obviously there are some who don’t like the toll. And I put that in the juxtaposition of, ‘Look, this is the only game in town.’” But Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) told the TImes, “Tolling the bridges is just not acceptable to me. Once you cross the Rubicon on tolling bridges the future conversation is merely, ‘How much is the periodic increase going to be?’"
Tagged
East River brides
funding
MTA
revenue
sheldon silver
tolls
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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