New tolls in New York in play again - this time to raise revenue

New tolls in New York City are in play again, this time to raise money to support the MTA's subways and buses. Governor Paterson is due to get the report of a Commission on MTA Financing headed by transit veteran Richard Ravitch December 5, and it considered likely to recommend heavy reliance on new tolls raise extra revenue. (Artwork by Bascove)

Local reports today say the most likely recommendation is tolls on the four untolled East River bridges - the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro (sometimes called 59th Street) bridges. About 515k vehicles/day cross these bridges. A study by Charles Komanoff and Brian Ketcham suggested tolling would reduce traffic 14% to about 444k/day. (see table at bottom)

At current TBTA toll rates of $4.15 for E-ZPass on the tolled crossings (Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Triborough Bridge) the four bridges would generate tolls of $672m/year.

In addition MTA Bridges and Tunnels (formally Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority) would gain an extra 38k tolls/day from the pricing of the four free crossings, or $58m extra a year from extra traffic on the Triborough Bridge and the Queens Midotwn and Brooklyn Battery tunnels.

The net effect would be to increase toll revenues in New York City $730m/year from the present $1,500m.

In January a Congestion Mitigation Commission suggesting modification to Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing scheme looked at different options. An alternative to the Mayor's congestion pricing scheme was tolls on the East River and Harlem River bridges.  This wasn't considered as effective in controlling congestion as schemes involving tolls inside Manhattan but it was described as having the highest net revenue.

With lower capital and operating costs it was described as raising more money - $947m gross and $859m net revenue.  Tolls on the many small and short Harlem River bridges between Manhattan and Bronx seem problematic politically and don't raise that much money.

The four long bridges over the East River - not in fact a river at all but an ocean estuary - are huge mile-long bridges, three of them suspension spans - and they were originally built as toll bridges, and deserve to get tolls back so they can regain the dignity of earning a return on their huge capital.

In March the New York state legislature refused to vote on enabling legislation, so the Mayor's congestion pricing scheme didn't proceed. Less than a year later the project is being looked at again but the emphasis has changed to raising money, so naturally it focuses more on tolling free bridges.

They opened as toll bridges but tolls were abolished by opportunistic politicians seeking easy popularity at the expense of future generations.

Opening years for these grand old bridges were Brooklyn Br 1883, Williamsburg Br 1903, Queensboro Br 1909, Manhattan Br 1909.

Tolling the four free East River bridges bridges would have benefits too for motorists in speeding traffic.

Komanoff & Ketcham estimate a rise in average speeds from 18.2mph to 24.9mph, offset to some extent by slower travel on the existing three MTA tolled crossings from 29.1mph to 23.7mph. Overall traffic over the seven bridges would go at 24.6mph vs 22.0mph now.

see http://www.bridgetolls.org/

To the extent tolls can reduce delays they can benefit both parties - toll payers and toll receivers. That win-win element makes them attractive as a measure for raising revenue.

Toll rates varied by time of day can enhance the benefits measured by Komanoff & Ketcham.

Sam Schwartz a former City commissioner of transportation and longtime consultant there is quoted telling Bloomberg News: "We already have tolls at the Battery Tunnel, Midtown Tunnel, the Triborough Bridge let's put pricing on all of the crossings in between."

COMMENT: Let the City toll the bridges

The Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority (TBTA) or MTA Bridges & Tunnels division has unfortunately become one of the most backward public toll agencies in the US in the last several years. It is one of the few still retaining old gates. It is resistant to the use of cameras for tolling. It displays no interest in congestion pricing tolls in the most congested city in America.

That is partly because it has been become leaderless, reduced to the status of a minor back office department within a huge transit agency, that is focussed on running trains and buses.

TBTA has no experience with the kind of all-electronic tolling with its reliance on cameras and dealing with motor registry databases that would be needed on the four East River bridges.

New York City DOT has more vigorous leadership than TBTA at present, and a far greater ability to take on new projects and new technologies than TBTA. NYCDOT could contract out toll operations and customer service.

The competition from a modern City toll operation would be good for TBTA, and PANYNJ too.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-11-09