New York City

Without any tolling option New York State DOT has been forced to drop a long planned rebuild of an old segment of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) and a portion of the Gowanus Expressway, both I-278 in Brooklyn. The project covers 5.3 miles, 8.5km of 2x3 lane expressway that goes back to Robert Moses time in the 1940s. Also included was a portion of the Gowanus Expressway.

New York's MTA Bridges and Tunnels (MTAB&T) are doing a "pilot project" with all-electronic toll (AET) collection at the Henry Hudson Bridge plaza on the far northern tip of Manhattan island.  A staff presentation to the MTA board says the benefits of all-electronic are: less stopping and reduced travel times for motorists, reduced operating costs for MTAB&T and reduced capital cost in the future.

Road pricing proposals have to be designed to benefit motorists if they're going to be implemented according to Bruce Schaller, deputy commissioner in the New York City department of transportation.

The Democratic Majority leader in the New York state Senate Pedro Espada is pushing for $2/vehicle tolls on the four presently tax-supported East River bridges - the venerable Brooklyn Bridge, and the Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges. Three other crossings are already tolled - the Triboro bridge, Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. (see map nearby)

Throgs Neck Bridge between Bronx and Queens NY City was closed much of today by a fire that raged in construction materials and temporary works that are part of a deck replacement project. The fire broke out about 5am, an hour after a night construction shift ended.

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.

Democrat legislators in a closed party meeting in the State Capitol in Albany decided today not to allow New York City congestion pricing to be put to a vote in the State Assembly. Democrat leader and assembly speaker Sheldon Silver claimed the opposition was "overwhelming" among Democrats. This he said, without explanation, was sufficient reason not to schedule a vote.

The new governor of New York David Paterson moved Friday (2008-03-21) to support New York City congestion pricing - one of the largest toll system projects going in the US. Paterson issued a statement of support and submitted an enabling bill to the legislature.

Firms bidding to build and operate New York City's central area congestion toll are virtually unanimous that the project faces catastrophe if the City attempts to proceed as planned. They say the scheme put out for comment by the City is unnecessarily complicated and expensive, and that the schedule is so rushed it may be impossible to meet. City officials have said they may have to adjust their plans.

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.