Bridge Tolls
Streetsblog Basics
State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery Sides With Fare Hike Four
The Fare Hike Four have absorbed most of the fire from advocates and editorial boards for derailing the Ravitch plan, and rightfully so. But by calling so much attention to themselves, they've also given cover to other members of the State Senate. So, what does the rest of the Senate majority have to say? Here's what Brooklyn's Velmanette Montgomery, re-elected on the Democratic and Working Families Party ballot lines in 2008 (with more than 96 percent of the vote), told her constituents:
March 30, 2009
Doomsday Open Thread: What’s Your Plan?
Now that they've covered the all-important transit riders against bridge tolls angle, William Neuman and the Times are asking straphangers how they plan to deal with seemingly imminent fare hikes and service reductions. Commenter #1's response:
March 24, 2009
Doomsday News: MTA Votes, Paterson Plays Chicken, Monserrate Indicted
The MTA's doomsday scenario came closer to fruition today, as agency board members took a step toward implementing planned fare hikes and service reductions while state lawmakers appeared mired in stalemate. Here are a few tidbits.
March 23, 2009
Huge Coalition Lines Up Behind Ravitch’s MTA Rescue Plan
The Daily News published an op-ed today that highlights the broad coalition of labor unions, business interests, good government groups, transportation advocates and neighborhood activists who want Albany to adopt the Ravitch Commission's MTA rescue plan.
March 20, 2009
Upper Manhattan Pols Share a Common (Windshield) Perspective
Some residents of Inwood aren't happy with Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat's vocal opposition to bridge tolls on East and Harlem River bridges. On the neighborhood blog Inwoodite (maintained by yours truly), Espaillat constituents sounded off last week, with one pointing out the assemblyman's illegal parking habit -- as illustrated by the photo above, snapped last December by another Inwood blogger.
March 19, 2009
Doomsday Transit Cuts, District by District
If you're wondering how MTA doomsday service cuts will affect you, you can now look them up by state legislative district and ZIP code, thanks to new maps from the Regional Plan Association.
March 19, 2009
Transit Riders to Diaz: Not In Our Name
Constituents picketed outside the office of Ruben Diaz, Sr. yesterday to urge the Bronx state senator to get behind the MTA rescue plan, which includes new tolls on East and Harlem River bridges. Though some 140,000 people in his district use transit every day, and are facing serious service cuts along with steep fare hikes, Diaz is adamantly opposed to the tolls, which would affect a relative handful of drivers.
March 13, 2009
Blame Game Continues: Smith Swipes at MTA, Monserrate Goes Anti-Toll
There's MTA rescue news today from the State Senate, and none of it good.
March 12, 2009
Bronx Transit Riders to Rally Today at Diaz Sr.’s Office
Communities United for Transportation Equity (COMMUTE) will hold a rally today at the office of Ruben Diaz, Sr., one of a handful of state senators whose opposition to bridge tolls threatens to sink the MTA rescue plan. Says COMMUTE:
March 12, 2009