Rockaway pol opposes MTA toll hike for Cross Bay Bridge
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato is against the MTA’s plan that would increase the toll on the Cross Bay
Veterans Memorial Bridge. QNS fi le photo
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | MARCH 12-MARCH 18, 2021 9
BY BILL PARRY
Rockaway Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer
Amato is adamantly opposed to the MTA’s plan
to raise bridge and tunnel tolls in New York City
by 7 percent.
The toll for the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial
Bridge, which connects Rockaway to the rest of
Queens, will increase from $2.29 to $2.45 for residents
who receive the EZ-Pass rebate, and from
$4.75 to $5.09 for all other drivers.
The MTA will also be penalizing drivers without
properly mounted EZ-Pass devices in their
car. Drivers with EZ-Pass devices not in place
will pay a toll halfway between the EZ-Pass rate
and the non-EZ-Pass rate.
“As I’ve said countless times, the Cross Bay
Veterans Memorial Bridge is the only intra-borough
bridge in all of New York state. These toll
increases are unjust, unnecessary, and unwanted,
and place an additional burden on constituents
during a time of economic uncertainty,”
Pheffer Amato said. “My bill, A.798, would eliminate
the toll for the Cross Bay Bridge entirely,
and make sure we’re never subject to a toll
increase again.”
This marks the third term that Pheffer Amato
has introduced this legislation since she started
in office over the 2017-2018 legislative term. The
bill passed the Assembly in 2017, but has not
passed the Assembly or Senate since.
The increases to the tolls will bring the MTA
$62 million this year, and $116 million next
year.
“The MTA has relied on biennial toll increases
since 2010 to provide modest and predictable
increases and the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating
impact on our budget makes it even more
important this year,” Ken Lovett, senior advisor
to MTA Chairman Pat Foye said when the toll
hike was announced last month. “While ridership
remains down by more than 70 percent on
average across subways and commuter rails,
crossings on MTA Bridges and Tunnels have
virtually returned to normal, down around 10
to 20 percent from pre-pandemic levels. These
changes will help ensure we continue to run as
much service as possible for customers.”
The MTA toll increases are scheduled to take
place in six to eight weeks.
“My constituents use this bridge every day to
conduct their daily lives, to take their kids to and
from school, to visit their families and get their
groceries, all while having to pay a toll,” Pheffer
Amato said. “This increase is another signal
that now is the moment to re-evaluate the significance
of the $14 million in toll revenue this
bridge receives against the multi-billion-dollar
MTA budget.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
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