The big news around town today is the Ravitch Commission Report. It proposes to save that glistening jewel of public service, the MTA (Richard Ravitch is a former chairman of the MTA FYI). This report has been months in the making and is one of these nonpartisan, apolitical commissions designed specifically to give politicians cover (in this case, our dear Mayor and Governor).
So what's in the report? Pain. Lots of it. It includes new taxes, service cuts, and "automatic adjusted" fare increases. Ouch!
But the proposal causing the biggest hubbub is that all East River bridges will now have tolls on them. This includes the Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Queensboro bridges (the Triborough already has tolls on them so nothing will change there). So now, no matter how you go (unless it's by foot), it's going to cost you to travel between almost each borough (although I guess the Staten Island ferry and bridges between Manhattan and the Bronx will still be free).
Obviously people who commute between the outerboroughs and Manhattan by car will loath and despise this change. How could they not? Small businesses located in Brooklyn and Queens that depend on customers in Manhattan will take a brutal hit.
The only positive thing about this proposal (I guess) is that hopefully it will force more people onto public transportation. It's almost a back door congestion pricing tax like Bloomberg wanted.
Doesn't that guy always win in the end?
So what's in the report? Pain. Lots of it. It includes new taxes, service cuts, and "automatic adjusted" fare increases. Ouch!
But the proposal causing the biggest hubbub is that all East River bridges will now have tolls on them. This includes the Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Queensboro bridges (the Triborough already has tolls on them so nothing will change there). So now, no matter how you go (unless it's by foot), it's going to cost you to travel between almost each borough (although I guess the Staten Island ferry and bridges between Manhattan and the Bronx will still be free).
Obviously people who commute between the outerboroughs and Manhattan by car will loath and despise this change. How could they not? Small businesses located in Brooklyn and Queens that depend on customers in Manhattan will take a brutal hit.
The only positive thing about this proposal (I guess) is that hopefully it will force more people onto public transportation. It's almost a back door congestion pricing tax like Bloomberg wanted.
Doesn't that guy always win in the end?
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