[M II A II R II K]

New East River Bridges Toll Proposal Goes After Everyone, Including Bicyclists


March 23, 2012

Read More: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/...river-bridges/

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Schwartz, known as “Gridlock Sam” to many, wasn’t kidding Friday when he told CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer that his new plan to raise $1.2 billion a year tolling the East River bridges will hit a lot of people. He wants to make everyone pay, even some who think they should be exempt. “I’m asking the bike riders to pay 50 cents each way to use the bridges coming into our Central Business District,” Schwartz said.

- New tolls would be put on the Ed Koch Queensboro, the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. Driver would pay $5 with E-ZPass; $7 without. But in exchange for keeping cars out of the Central Business District below 60th Street, Schwartz wants to reduce – that’s right, reduce — tolls on uptown spans, the Triboro, Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges. The round-trip tab would drop from $13 to $8. With Mayor Michael Bloomberg in Asia, Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway said that while the mayor isn’t supporting a congestion pricing plan at this time, it is necessary to find some way to fund mass transit.

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