Open Thread Wednesday

IMHO those who think, increased tolls are the magic bullet that will alleviate traffic, are delusional. Tolls have already been pushed to ridiculously high amounts and the traffic remains the same. All it will accomplish is higher prices for consumers, more aggravation for drivers and of course more money for the corrupt, inept government to squander.

But TOGETHER with improved mass transit, they have a synergistic – additive – effect. Buses, in particular, are due for a re-think in a way that’s really not possible with subways. And they’re getting it. Routes like the 103 combine the best of “express buses” with a cost of getting to and from work that isn’t a killer…. Plus the city COULD put the Uber/Lyft genie back in the bottle as London has done. And if NY wasn’t so rich-friendly, there would be $ enough to “finish the Q” or put yet another line in place, because several lines are clearly maxed out at this point. We agree on one thing – there is no single magic bullet – higher tolls included.

The park wouldn’t even have to give a little land. They’d lose the land under a smidge of the berms — land you cant walk on — and have quiet AND a ton of NEW land on top of the highway.

The B.I.G. Engles architecture plan really is brilliant… but unlikely.

For some time now, a well-meaning animal lover has been distributing peanuts under the bushes in Cadman Plaza Park. There are several problems with this: 1) There are not many squirrels in the park but there are a lot of rats who love peanuts. This encourages their population growth!
2) I’m not sure who the intended recipients are, but most birds don’t eat peanuts.
3) BUT Most important – peanuts create gastric problems for many dogs who cannot digest them well despite the appealing taste. This has, in the case of my dog, aggravated her pancreatitis. In off leash times, dogs may wander and snack on these despite our vigilance.

If you’re reading this, neighbor, please stop or at least sprinkle bird food, although our local wildlife seems to be doing very well feeding on available “wild” food.

You – like many (including me) sometimes speak whereof you know not. The toll near New Rochelle on I95 is one of – I’m sure – thousands in different spots in the U.S. that has neither of those purposes – ones that you imply are the only ones that matter (or should matter.)

In reality, “paying for the cost of building something” is often in the paperwork involved in borrowing money to build it, but while there ARE instances of tolls being terminated, that – as you would say – is mostly a POLITICAL decision.

And yes, tolls can be used – as NY is trying to make happen – the way Uber uses “surge pricing” – to alter usage patterns.

But they certainly can be used to build up a rainy day fund or pay for “maintenance & upkeep” of bridges, roads, etc.

Too often, I suspect, they pay for salaries & benefits of the once many people who worked “in that area.” And I doubt that either of us would be shocked if States & municipalities viewed them as a way to tax people passing through – rather than (to an extent) the people who might vote for or against local politicians.

Last, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that truckers and drivers pay more per mile in and near NYC than most places – the freebie bridges notwithstanding. UPS and the like build those tolls into their rate structure, but you do well to remember that WE pick up the tab indirectly, because trucks pay way more than cars and again – that just winds up inflating the cost of whatever those trucks are moving to or through New York.