MTA demands NYC Marathon cough up $750K toll for crossing Verrazzano Bridge in latest congestion pricing scheme

NY Post ^ | 04/03/2024 | Emily Crane

[ChicagoConservative27]

The MTA’s latest congestion pricing scheme: Charge runners for crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The transit agency is waging war against the organizers of the New York City Marathon, demanding $750,000 to make up for toll revenue lost during the iconic race.

And if New York Road Runners doesn’t pay up, the agency is threatening to restrict use of the bridge, potentially reducing the number of runners who can compete in the wildly popular event each November, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing internal memos.

During hardball negotiations, the MTA initially said runners — who start the marathon on Staten Island — would only be allowed to use the darker lower deck of the bridge for the 26.2-mile race if organizers don’t pay up.

Officials backtracked slightly, though, in recent weeks by saying marathon organizers could have their pick of the upper or lower level for the race — but not both, according to the memos.

[ChicagoConservative27]

The organizers of the race should cancel it and tell MTA to piss off.

[posterchild]

I was certain this was going to be a Babylon Bee article.

[Seruzawa]

New Yorkers deserve to get what they vote for, good and hard.

[proxy_user]

Each runner should be required to have an E-Z-Pass attached to his cap. Problem solved!

[posterchild]

Somebody’s got to go back and get a sh*tload of dimes.

[Delta 21]

This is the 1st time they thot of this?

[V_TWIN]

Brought to you by the same communists that want to continue to to tax people that have already moved out of the shitty state.

[Dahoser]

So much for the notion that events bring ancillary revenues into locations.

[No name given]

That’s right.

[Alberta's Child]

No, it’s the first time the MTA has realized that it’s flat broke and desperate for every penny of toll revenue they can get.

[Delta 21]

[FlingWingFlyer]

ROTFL!

[FatherofFive]

I was certain this was going to be a Babylon Bee article.

Yeah, the Bee missed another one!

[pepsi_junkie]

No, it’s the first time the MTA has realized that it’s flat broke and desperate for every penny of toll revenue they can get.

Maybe they will also look into the corruption, excissing salaries for no show jobs, fraud and waste that has resulted in them being dead broke. Hah hah hah! I kid, never gonna happen!

[Delta 21]

With the disruption to normal traffic that the event causes, I expected they were paying some kind of usage fee and had been for quite some time. Its the largest marathon event in the world and has been going for 30 or 40 years steady.

I say again, Is this the 1st they thot of that?

[wildcard_redneck]

I smile when I think of the total revenue money MTA is going to lose when they cancel the marathon and all the tourism traffic does not get collected in tolls for other bridges and tunnels. They are going to drive tourism away.

[kiryandil]

LOL!

The sheriff's a-nearin'!!

[VanShuyten]

They shouldn’t cancel it. They should just move it outside NYC but retain the name.

[Delta 21]

[Lockbox]

I see the future 🧐 The Staten Island Marathon!