Jan. 31, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan
Queens residents support the placement of a toll on the Queensboro Bridge—and three other bridges—as a means to generate funding to bolster the transit system and improve roadways, according to poll data released by the activist group Transportation Alternatives.
The survey, conducted by Penn Schoen Berland, revealed that 55 percent of those Queens residents surveyed, and 54 percent of all respondents, support the addition of a toll at the Queensboro Bridge—as well as the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges—as a way to generate income for the transit system as opposed to other revenue-raising measures.
The toll on these four bridges under the proposed Move NY plan would cost $5.54 each way if paid by E-ZPass and $8 each way for other drivers.
The plan to raise tolls, which was hatched by the transportation lobby group Move NY, aims to raise revenue, decrease traffic congestion while creating a more equitable tolling structure. For instance, under the Move NY plan, the toll would be lowered at the Triborough/RFK and other existing tolled bridges.
The tolls on these bridges would be lowered by $2.50 each way.
The advocates for the Move NY plan claim that the plan would disincentivize drivers from using the Queensboro Bridge, therefore reducing congestion and pollution around Queens Plaza.
Surveyors spoke with 880 likely voters throughout the city and gave them four options as to how funds would be best raised to improve the transportation system, asking the respondents to pick their favorite.
The respondents were told ahead of time that there was a need for additional revenue and that some drivers pay high tolls to cross bridges in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island while other drivers pay no tolls at all on most bridges leading into Manhattan.
The survey offered respondents the options of raising subway and bus fares, raising taxes on all residents, introducing new tolls on bridges that lead into Manhattan that are currently without tolls, while lowering them on bridges in other locations that already have high tolls, or none of the above.
Those interviewed mostly chose the toll swapping option, with 54 percent saying they would prefer the Move NY proposal. Only six percent supported raising public transportation fares, and 16 percent supported raising taxes. 24 percent said either none of the above or they didn’t know.
“These poll results show that a wide range of New Yorkers, even those who drive, support a more equitable tolling system that would raise essential funds to strengthen transit and give communities an unprecedented say about which repair and expansion projects are most urgently needed,” said Paul White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, the group that administered the survey.
The proposal was introduced in the State Assembly and State Senate last year, and is expected to be reintroduced again this year.
The state will determine if the plan goes into effect.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, whose husband Dan Hendrick is on the board of Transportation Alternatives, has been an outspoken supporter of the plan.
An informal poll on this website and other Queenspost publications in 2015 revealed that more than 80 percent of the 2,100 respondents (separate IP addresses) opposed the placement of a toll on the Queensboro Bridge.
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42 Comments
This is such nonsense. The City has wanted and tried to put tolls on East river bridges for a long time. It hasn’t succeeded as of yet. This poll’s results are suspicious at best.
Bike riding hipster transplants should have no say in these issues. The traffic is already horrendous going over the bridge, tolls will back it up to Jackson heights.
Catch-22: Good for finding the reliable sources of funding to fix the overall crumbling infrastructure in the entire NYC region; bad for middle-class residents where driving a vehicle is an only option for them, especially in Queens.
The pro-toll crowd had first pushed the rationale that it was all about reducing congestion (it won’t–esp. with more construction on BOTH sides of the bridge). That didn’t fly with moving public opinion much, so now they’re trying to make it about “fairness” in who pays the tolls and fares. It was always about finding another revenue source and how to sell this lie!
LOL, the final poll numbers completely contradict the news story, just like on election day!
JVB you lost another one you thought that you won!
I think we need another self defense class to help protect us from the angry bridge masses.
JVB is on twitter again marching with a crowd in long island city in front of Uber he words read no one should undermind the resistence #NO BAN #NO WALL doesn’t he work at all —
This should be marked as an advertorial.
All you have to do is look at the source of the to know it’s totally made-up BS. It was done by the advocacy group that wants to put the toll up! Of course the numbers will support their cause! So stupid, just another way to tax the working class while smiling and tell them it is for their own good.
Nobody in Sunnyside knows about the study.
Sounds like a group out of NYC!
Not a statistically significant study!
Beyond belief! Who answered this poll? I think it should be voted upon in the next election! I think we pay enough in property taxes. Let taxpayers say what should be done. Bye!Bye! JVM.
I pay property tax but I do not drive a car. Why should my tax dollars pay for your free bridge???
I support only with an exception for taxis and non-luxury livery vehicles (T plates.) Their presence reduces congestion and should not be penalized.
Especially those of us in Sunnyside who are stranded every other weekend because with 7 and/or N problems it takes an hour to get into Manhattan can appreciate this.
I took a poll and my poll is 10000-0 against toll
well well well — Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, whose husband Dan Hendrick is on the board of Transportation Alternatives, has been an outspoken supporter of the plan.
He is betraying his own neighbors in order to please his donors. Disgusting.
Is this true? What is the source of your info so we can read?
I strongly favor a toll! Stop Day Man at once!
All tax payers should not pay for the upkeep of roads and bridges that a majority of Queens residents do not use (with a private vehicle). People driving the cars should foot the bill. Yes, the majority of Queens residents DO NOT DRIVE. The percentage of people commuting by car in Sunnyside/Woodside is very low. Second, our neighborhood is nothing more than an on-ramp to the Queensboro Bridge. Thousands of drivers from Long Island and eastern Queens use our neighborhood streets — often speeding, running red lights and not yielding to pedestrians — so they can drive into Manhattan for free. Meanwhile, transit commuters will soon have to pay $3 for the same privilege. Why would residents of Sunnyside want to continue this way?
Tolls? Yes. Tolls for idiots that drive alone in a car to their job in manhattan and live in Queens. Anybody who has a Long Island address and drives through Queens on their way to Manhattan. Yes. Even for a night out, with multiple passengers. Anybody taking a taxi into Manhattan from Queens with less than two passengers – Yes. No tolls from Manhattan to Queens – for Queens residents. Residents from other borough’s? Yes, if there is only one driver and no passengers for a car and two for a taxi.
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Any tolls for that matter, though, will cause a traffic nightmare.
People drive/taxi to the city to go to doctors, museums, movies, shows. Seniors cannot safely take public transportation!
Absolutely no need for NYC and NYS pay increases via tolls. It’s really a tax and the last thing NYer’s need is another tax to feed the pig.
This was caused by oversampling. Ask the same group of people so it appears favorable.
Instead of tolls from these political tools offer sponsorships. Private companies reputations will be on the line to provide the best bridges and tunnels. It’ll most likely be free.
I’d rather have Amazon run the bridged and tunnels rather than some shady deviant in a suit… I meant politician.
-PSH Private company reputations? Are you really this gullible? Will the bridges and tunnels sponsorship be run like any of the companies in the below list? They all pretended to be concerned about their reputations too.
Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc.
Washington Mutual, Inc.
Worldcom, Inc.
General Motors Corporation
CIT Group Inc.
Enron Corp.
Conseco, Inc.
MF Global Holdings Ltd.
Chrysler LLC
Thornburg Mortgage, Inc.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
Texaco, Inc.
Financial Corp. of America
Refco Inc.
IndyMac Bancorp, Inc.
Global Crossing Ltd.
Bank of New England Corp.
General Growth Properties, Inc.
Lyondell Chemical Company
Calipine Corp.
Politicians are worse!
Queens residents voted on this? Where was my invite? No local Queens resident who uses this bridge will agree to add a toll. And you say it’ll decrease traffic congestion? How so? Now we have to wait in longer lines to pass the EZPass tolls first (as if there isn’t enough traffic by Queensboro).
For one thing, toll booths are going away, so you don’t have to worry about long lines (https://www.wired.com/2016/10/nys-pumped-cash-free-tolls-kinda-ok-dont-pay/). People disproportionately choose the bridge (over Triboro, tunnel) because it’s free. If a toll was charged, people would either take the train or more evenly distribute themselves over all entry points. I do agree with you, local Queens residents who use the bridge are not likely to support this proposal. But they are in the minority.
Stop your dissembling. They want to monitor the traffic for security reasons. People in Queens drive. That is how the borough works. It is a transit desert. If you want to lower traffic in the borough and collect more money close up the exits to 21st St from the Grand Central and to Queens Blvd and LIC from the LIE. People from Long Island get off those roads and drive through Queens to avoid the RFK and Midtown Tunnel tolls. It will put the White Castle and gas station on 43rd St. out of business but that’s ok with me.
Those who use the Qboro bridge do NOT favor tolls. This is a false vote as mist people in Queens are not aware if this poll. WHO is MoveOn? Who sprpved their “study” which is obviously NOT statisticslly significant.
1.Seniors cannot climb 60 stairs to get to the train.
2. Q60 +Q32 run erratically and u can wait 30 min to get into manhattan
We use Qboro Bridge bec it is closest to Sunnyside and East side of Manhattan!
Seniors cannot walk up 60 stairs to train
Buses q32, 60 run erratically.
Route truck traffic to the Tunnel!
How about removing the fiscal waste in the MTA before you pick the taxpayers pockets…again.
That will never happen. The MTA is mismanaged and a horribly run organization. I would venture to say thousands of employees are living large at the expense of the NY City subway rider. Meanwhile, fares increase and service remains the same. Well, except for a new subway line to take rich people from a rich neighborhood to a rich job and back.
Poll? Nobody toll me about the toll poll.
“For instance, under the Move NY plan, the toll would be lowered at the Triborough/RFK and other existing tolled bridges.”
.
Whoever thinks the other bridges will lower their tolls is doing some serious hallucinogenic drugs.
81% of people said NO to adding tolls . So change your article
You need to re-read the article.
The same people who said Trump has no road to victory must have taken this poll!
I don’t know who they spoke to in their “Poll”, but nobody I know wants tolls on the Bridges. That is nonsense.
Oh well, if nobody YOU know supports the toll, then there must be some sort of mistake.
Do you think Jimmy Van Bramer’s husband, Dan Hendrick, who’s a Board of Director of Transportation Alternative a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has to do anything with the tolls?
Probably a lot to do with the stupid bike lanes on Queens Blvd.
https://www.transalt.org/about/board
That is a clear conflict of interest.
…then the People need to get involved and run against JVB.
Think this is a private group Calk Nolan’s office
I sent rmail and letter and never heard from het.