Pataki Postpones Efforts to Reduce Verrazano Bridge Tolls for Staten Island
Governor Pataki appeared to postpone efforts to reduce Verrazano Narrows Bridge tolls until at least 1997 in a meeting with the editorial board of the Staten Island Advance. Two weeks before last November's election, Pataki pledged to increase the Staten Island residential toll discount to $3 (from $2), a 50% break from the $6 basic passenger vehicle toll. The Governor said proposed State and City cuts to the MTA budget are a constraint on any toll reduction plan (the MTA applies surplus toll revenue to NYC Transit and commuter rail operations). He also backed S.I. Borough President Molinari's proposal to require an economic impact analysis each time the MTA seeks to raise bridge tolls. Do the Governor and Borough President support a similar analysis for MTA transit fare hikes?
