New York – MTA Hike Drives Off 1 Million Motorists

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    New York – Motorists are steering clear of MTA bridges and tunnels following a series of massive toll hikes.

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    Traffic on the agency’s nine crossings plummeted by about 1 million vehicles in April 2011 when compared to April 2010.

    Passenger-car crossings were down by 3.9 percent, while other vehicles, such as trucks and buses, declined by 6.6 percent.

    And MTA officials admitted that the downturn mainly stemmed from the recent unpopular fare hikes, although poor weather and high gas prices also contributed.

    In December, the fee at most major crossings increased by $1 each way.

    Cash tolls widely increased by 18 percent, with the Henry Hudson Bridge toll jumping 33 percent.

    As a result, many fuming drivers found alternate routes.

    The mass exodus has left the MTA in a financial bind.


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    20 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    12 years ago

    This explains why we need MORE bike lanes so that drivers can leave their cars home and bike into the city. All we hear is about how difficult the bike lanes have made it for yidden in the heimehse neighborhoods of Brooklyn. This articles shows that without those bikelanes, it would have been more difficult to get to the bridges and tunnels.

    Chaveirim
    Chaveirim
    12 years ago

    When will they learn that hiking tolls (and taxes) doesn’t really work, as we see here and everywhere else…

    12 years ago

    When will all agencies learn that’s its NOT wise to raise prices, as out of necessity people learn to do things the cheaper way. Like when the postal service didn’t stop raising the 1st class stamp more & more people got to learn how to pay their bill’s online & the list goes on.

    KevinTheMevin
    KevinTheMevin
    12 years ago

    Everyone thinks they can keep hiking prices and everyone will keep paying up because they need the service, fact is most households in the USA are hurting and at some point these constant price hikes have to come to an end.

    12 years ago

    “The mass exodus has left the MTA in a financial bind.”

    Why don’t they just raise the tolls to make up the deficit?

    engelalber
    engelalber
    12 years ago

    Everyone complains about the traffic, but when the MTA effectively reduces traffic by 1 million vehicles by raising tolls, everybody complains. You can’t have it both ways. Either you make the city convenient for cars, and deal with the congestion that brings, or you make the city expensive for cars, and therefore reduce the congestion.

    yalili
    yalili
    12 years ago

    Maybe there should be some kind of boycott against the mta so they will have to lower the tolls

    DRE53
    DRE53
    12 years ago

    T be honest, I really don’t mind paying ore tolls if it ould result in less traffic.
    Driving thru the city is a nightmare and having less cars on the road is what we need. Peoiple need to realize that living or doing business is a luxury and if u can’t afford the tolls, you beloing somewhere else.
    In fact, I suppirted the idea of mayor bloomberg to charge tolls on the east river bridges and on any car entering manhattan. My time is worth much more than the hike in tolls.
    (Writing this while sitting in traffic….)

    DRE53
    DRE53
    12 years ago

    T be honest, I really don’t mind paying ore tolls if it ould result in less traffic.
    Driving thru the city is a nightmare and having less cars on the road is what we need. Peoiple need to realize that living or doing business is a luxury and if u can’t afford the tolls, you beloing somewhere else.
    In fact, I suppirted the idea of mayor bloomberg to charge tolls on the east river bridges and on any car entering manhattan. My time is worth much more than the hike in tolls.
    (Writing this while sitting in traffic….)

    Mentsh
    Mentsh
    12 years ago

    I actually go on the Queensborough Bridge a lot more frequently now that the tolls increased on the Whitestone and Throgs Neck. Now it costs $0 to get to New Jersey instead of going through the Bronx at $6.50. When you do this weekly, it adds up!

    lollypop
    lollypop
    12 years ago

    You know that all tolls were originally places temporarily and then the Mta decided its a good way to make money so they kept it. The govt should be paying for bridges and tunnels and if they don’t have the money they can take it from all those govt workers that get pensions. Which normal business today gives pension?