The Bridge, round II

Rep. Nadler is discussing legislation to reintroduce two way tolls on the Verrazano Bridge, as a means to reduce congestion and pollution it causes in lower Manhattan. He cites the effectiveness of E-ZPass at eliminating congestion. Via the Staten Island Advance;

And with E-ZPass now allowing cars to drive through toll collection points without reducing speeds, Islanders' rallying cry that a two-way toll would exacerbate congestion on the Staten Island Expressway is immaterial, Gottheim argued.

Gottheim is the district director of Nadler's Manhattan office. Note the "without reducing speeds" which highlights the high speed EZ-Pass plan Stephen Harrison introduced during his campaign. Of course Vito called that concept "wacky" and then we find out it actually does work and is currently implemented in Ontario with great effectiveness. But clearly there are many problems as Vito would have you believe, such as not everyone having EZ-Pass;

"You could demand that only E-ZPass goes over the bridge," he added. On an average weekday, about 78 percent of the 194,000 vehicles that cross the Verrazano in either direction use E-ZPass.

Require E-ZPass = elimination of all toll both created congestion. Brilliant! Before questions of feasibility arise, this may already be happening in Switzerland;

the entire Autobahn system of Switzerland is likewise, even though there is a "mandatory" E-Z Pass rule implemented