Even the most fervent toll-hating Staten Islander should note that the Mayor cannot simply lift MTA tolls, though toll policy is an area where he could bargain with the Governor and transit officials. Reducing MTA revenue also flies in the face of Ferrer's lofty goal of seeing a new Second Avenue subway run from the northern Bronx to downtown Manhattan.

A more cogent position for candidates interested in Staten Island transportation would be to call on the Port Authority to scuttle its proposal to "twin" the Goethals Bridge, a project that would open the way to Staten Island for more cars and trucks. Some of the money saved by ditching the project should be used instead for the mass transit improvements Staten Island has clamored for for decades.