MTA Bridges & Tunnels

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board will decide October 27 between two toll hike proposals designed to increase revenues about 7.5% or from $1411m to $1517m on a full year basis. With traffic likely to decline slightly, toll rates have to be increased nearly 10% to hit these revenue numbers, officials say.

The court battle over alleged "fraud" by Telvent against MTA Bridges and Tunnels (MTAB&T) made by fired senior Telvent officer Phil Leshinsky is set to revolve around arcane complexities of its procurement procedures of the New York City toiler. At issue is how Telvent bid for the E-ZPass maintenance contract awarded by MTAB&T in 2008 in which the company displaced TransCore on hardware maintenance.

Tolls on the bridges and tunnels in New York City operated by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority go up 10% July 12

Verrazano bridge tolls levied one-way only will be for cars $9.14 with an E-ZPass transponder, $5.48 for Staten Island residents with E-ZPass and for them with a Resident token $7.35, and $11 cash.

CBS TV News in New York is reporting that MTA Bridges and Tunnels (MTAB&T) have given away 24,000 E-ZPasses so the favored can have free rides over the toller's nine toll bridges and tunnels in New York City, and presumably over other toll facilities in the regional E-ZPass system as well since the it can't discriminate.