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

50 Cents For Bikes, More Surcharges On Cabs Part Of 'Gridlock Sam' Plan

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(credit: CBS 2)

(credit: CBS 2)

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The city’s former traffic commissioner has a new plan to put tolls on East River bridges. But this proposal has some novel “selling points,” including a first-ever toll for cyclists.

Plan to toll the bridges have come and gone over the past few years, but the latest one by Sam Schwartz is starting to pick up steam, maybe because it goes after everyone.

“I’m trying to be equal opportunity pain throughout the region,” Schwartz said.

WCBS 880′s Marla Diamond On The Story


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.

Schwartz also wants to put a new surcharge on yellow and livery cabs, a surcharge on so-called “black cars” and a surcharge on parking in Midtown. 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.

“It is definitely vital that we figure out how we’re going to fund transit for the long term. It’s the only way New York City is going to stay competitive,” Holloway said.

WCBS 880′s Rich Lamb: Deputy Mayor Says The Plan Will Get Due Consideration


Drivers are definitely not on board.

“It may help with traffic, but I mean I think we pay for enough as far as tolls coming into the city and gas prices the way it is. I don’t think we need more tolls,” Brooklyn resident Lance Smith said.

“I think it would just slow traffic more. I’m not really for it,” added Rhonda Rosenfeld of New Hyde Park.

“That would be a disaster,” another person said.

Just for the record, before 1911 there were tolls on the Ed Koch bridge — 10 cents for cars, 5 cents for push carts and 3 cents for horses.

Please share your thoughts below…

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  • fergy

    I blame liberal graft, entitlement mentality, and “spending their way out of debt” for the state of affairs today………

  • TruthInSpending

    Find a way to fund mass transit? Let those who use it pay for it. Now there’s a novel approach.

  • Noreaster

    It now makes sense why Bloomberg built the bike lanes in the first place…..
    to make revenue!

  • Tammy

    Nothing more filthy tthan a zionist.

  • johnrokkit

    Coming on the heels of the mayor’s decision to limit calories in food to homeless shelters this is revealing. Run by wealthy clowns for their own amusement.

  • Vince

    How about everyone wear a gas mask with a meter attached to it so that they can tax the air we breathe. I mean, they might as well go all the way.

  • Kevin

    Federal and state governments have all become parasites in a constant search for new host bodies. Now they want a person on a pedal bike to pay a toll to cross a bridge. Whats next ? A walking tax. Open the books, show us where the money went.

  • Mencken Baken

    “Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction in stolen goods.” ~ H. L. Mencken

    ================ http://911essentials.com

  • Iron Head

    The new electronic shoe toll device can be called U-P A S S

  • Iron Head

    The shoe’s electron toll device can be called UP-ASS.

    • Vince

      LOL. Good one.

  • Iron Head

    The electronic shoe toll device will be call U-PASS!

  • Iron Head

    Shoe tax! 25 cents per shoe and for added effect, I can kick a stupid politicians butt if my shoe has E-Pass.

  • Andrew Moore

    Nobody goes to NYC anymore. It’s too crowded.

  • Mike G

    Here is a novel idea. How about cutting spending?

    • Vince

      What???? Officer, officer! Arrest that man!

  • AsylumEscapee

    Why don’t you tax Bloomberg Terminals – extensive use in finance in NYC and maybe even figure out a way of reaching out worldwide to anyone/anywhere using one? Figure a small fee – like $10K/user/month (but start at $1/month just to avoid an uproar).
    Might also consider an elevator tax ($0.50/flight each way).

  • The Governor of Mesa

    Cut those city manager’s salary and pension. It’ll more than make up for the loss revenue of a bike tax!

  • Rod Anders

    Why complain? You’re the people that elect these idiots? What a complete farce. Do you really think that Jimmy Carson or Ed McMahon would pay these ridiculous fines?

  • Travln Texan

    get ready it’s coming…a tax on BREATHING.

  • John Wayne

    Want o know how to solve the problem with New York city?

    LEAVE!!!!!!

  • tonytee

    hey i have a grand idea.. stop speinding money you do not have .. taxation is getting way out of hand stupid politicians.. stop spending you pigs.

  • DavidArizona

    They have spent too much of your money, now they need more of it. New Yorkers/ you keep voting these people in. Open your wallets!!!!!!

  • http://barry1817.wordpress.com barry1817

    If bicycles want to take to the road, and they are required to follow motor vehicle codes, then they should be ready to pay their fair share for the upkeep of those roads.

    Sorry, you don’t get to castigate drivers, and then get a free pass on the costs associated with those roads.

    • tonytee

      you are just plain goofy..

    • Vince

      Hey barry, how much “upkeep” is required to maintain a road ridden on by BICYCLES?? And any person who’s got the guts to ride a bike among the insane taxi drivers in the city and not pollute the air DESERVES to ride in free. Do yourself a favor, listen to the song by the Beetles called “Taxman”. Even THEY figured it out.

  • Native Mike

    How about a toll every four block radius or so for illegal immigrants.

    • Native Mike

      and a booth for citizens to buy guns legally and uphold their second amendment rights! ;)

      • Vince

        Can’t have that Mike because then the lives of POLITICIANS would be in danger ;)

  • jaline

    This kind of lunacy is why we left the cities of S. California and moved to the country. We own just under 7 acres, with approximately 300 trees (some of them 80 ft. tall and most of which we planted ourselves). Our home is small (1292 sq. ft), but there’s no mortgage. Our closest neighbor is 600 ft. from our front door; the nearest town (pop. about 13,000) is 10 miles away. We don’t have a lot of amenities (like sidewalks) and our road is paved with gravel. The cost of gas is high (it’s 20 miles and back to the grocery store)…but our sanity is well worth it.

  • Joseph Bee

    THis is, yet another, unelected pinhead that is a shill for the Bloomberg despot. Notice that there’s no mention of his princess beard, Salik-Khan? That’s because she generates enough hatred in all she’s done in wreaking havoc on our streets! As for pinhead Sam, he should shut up. Go tax his family, and go away.
    And while bicyclists are on line waiting to pay a toll, they can breathe in volumes of toxic air from the gridlocked cars. Real smart.

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