I Did It For The Tollz

Tolling all 13 East River and Harlem River bridges sounds like a great way to make a lot of money, but the loopholes sound problematic:

Gov. Paterson is again on board with a plan that would toll 13 now-free East and Harlem River bridges at the cost of a subway ride for all drivers — but the latest twist would exempt those crossing the spans for business or medical purposes, officials said today.

The new plan meant to bail out the MTA from a budget deficit also calls for a 5 to 10 percent tax increase on all non-city residents who use long-term garage parking spaces in Manhattan and a 50-cent “dropoff” surcharge on every taxi ride, according to former MTA chief Richard Ravitch, the plan’s author.

1) So does using the bridges for “business” mean that delivery trucks will be exempt? If so, will they pass along their savings from less traffic congestion to customers?

2) Wow, you’re going to put a toll on that dopey little University Heights Bridge, too? For $2, I’d want something iconic, like the Brooklyn Bridge or even the Queensboro!

3) Won’t tolling the Washington Bridge increase congestion like crazy on already-really-congested I-95?

4) I’m sure there’s more, but why not just make things easy and call for a vote on legalizing gay marriage instead?