As many of our readers know, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was given the, well, authority to raise tolls over the last few weeks. And, as many of us have read about in recent weeks, many people are beginning to feel the crunch of the increase in tolls.
The folks who contribute from time to time to JerseySmarts.com are not immune to this crisis. In fact, our own poetic contributor Joseph P. Martino recently sent me an editorial that he wrote about the excessive increases in the tolls. Here is Mr. Martino’s commentary, printed in full, for you to read.
HOW HIGH BRIDGE TOLLS NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE NEW JERSEY,NEW YORK AND TRI STATE AREA ECONOMY
JOSEPH P.MARTINOThe tolls on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and metropolitan transit authority are out of control. To help reduce or defray the tolls — I think Mayor Bloomberg should sell the naming rights to all bridges to a large fortune 500 company.
If sports arenas and stadiums have corporate sponsors or branding why not the verrazano bridge? the bridge is an iconic landmark worth alot of money to a sponsor. the branding contact could run for 20 years and maybe bring the toll down a few dollars. the name ‘verrazano’ would always be retained for exp:(fictitious) the Apex Narrows Verrazano Bridge or, the Verrazano Narrows Apex Bridge.
***i would also suggest an Ezee Pass system where economist would estimate a mean annual cost for round trip travel on the verrazano bridge. REVISED: REGULAR HEAVY BUSINESS USERS COULD APPLY FOR PREPAID DISCOUNT CARD.*****
For example $2,000 dollars a year round trip total toll. the estimated $2,000 dollars could be paid up front for heavy users of the bridge offering the pre pays a discount Ezee Pass, *****card or sticker.the city/state would collect up front interest on the pre payers money.******
Regular rates would apply to non pre pays. i would like to know why 60 cents of every dollar collected from tolls on the port of (pa)new york authority bridges go to finance the world trade center? can we not find another source of revenue and stop penalizing motorist and commercial business? the consumer is further penalized because commercial companies are forced to pass along high bridge tolls to the consumer.
The high Bridge,tunnel and path tolls are anti productive to all, like all regressive tax we have reached the point of no return. as a former Brooklyn,staten island resident now living in new jersey i am forced to rations my motor trips into nyc. formerly brooklyn and staten island residents would drive to new jersey to save on clothing tax but now feel isolated and confined to their home boroughs by out of control high bridge tolls.
**the end result: lost business and loss of tax revenue for the city of new york from visitors from new jersey,Pennsylvania who have cut down on there trips to new york.. people who would normally attend movies, theatre,plays,opera,concerts,ballet, museum’s,sport events,the circus and shop and dine in the city. trucker and commercial business are forced to pass their costs to the consumer to survive the high tolls they are forced to pay.
NYC restaurants and other business like parking garages and lots are feeling the pinch in lost revenue. the total loss of business and tax loss for the city of new york/state will be enormous***. how do high bridge,tunnel and path tolls in the long term really benefit new jersey and new york economy.???????
an exploratory committee! of economist must be convened to figure out the money brought in from higher toll increases as opposed to the overall loss of business and revenue to new jersey and new york. some out of the box thinking is called for.
joseph p. martino
millburn, nj
former 70 year resident on new york city
american writer,poet,inventor,motivator (1937~)
And there you have it – one former New York City resident and current New Jersey resident’s take on the increasing cost of transportation in and around the tri-state area.
