Staten Islanders are no stranger to ridiculously high tolls to return home. The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, for non-residents of Staten Island, is a whopping $19 per trip. This is a huge number, and has generated a major surplus for the TBTA and MTA. All the bridges that were constructed in New York City were built with the expectation that they would reduce commuter traffic on the existing bridges and tunnels. This was true for the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, both of which did nothing for existing traffic, diverting no cars onto these new bridges, but instead generating brand new traffic. Staten island is the southernmost borough of New York city, fewer than a half of million people live in Staten Island. The main issue that facing all Staten islanders is high toll rate. Staten island is the only brough detached from New York city other broughs. Staten island connected to other places through 4 bridges and free Staten Island ferry ride to lower Manhattan. Four bridges are Verrazzano bridge is connecting to Brooklyn, Goethals bridge to new jersey, outer bridge to south jersey. Bayonne bridge to Jersey City for the Staten islanders, those whose are residing SI, they pay$ 2.45 dollar to Verrazzano bridge for one way, rest of the bridge’s tolls $19 dollars for one way. Those who working outside SI pays a lot money for toll. TBTA and MTA should consider rate of toll to be lowered or those who residing outside of Staten Island and Staten Island residents. Those who working 5-day job they pay a lot money for one month. This will beneficial for MTA public transportation is available in Staten Island but extend of time for spending public transportation is high that is one of the reasons everybody choosing own transportation.
Staten Islanders have NO access to the subway system at all, and the bus system on Staten Island is woefully inadequate for the residents of the island as well, as anyone who relies on the bus system to get around will tell you. Long wait times, off-schedule buses, and more have been the bane of Staten Islanders for a very long time. While this has improved some, with the new apps and bus stop signs that give a much more accurate picture of the time of arrival, it is little more than a marginal improvement. The extremely high toll on the VN Bridge does nothing to directly support those residents of Staten Island who are forced to use it, and benefits only those residents of the other boroughs who have an actual working subway system. High toll rate is one of the main problems in US like unemployment. people refuse to work in specific areas. The tolling plan, aimed at reducing traffic in Manhattan. All the undue economic burden on residents even paying high toll rate traffic remain will be the same. Heavy traffic in most of the bridges, toll rate needs to be lowered because to avoid economic burden. That will be required need of all people in US especially for Staten islanders.
https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2023/07/19/mta-to-vote-on-proposed-fare-and-toll-hikes
