Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday a plan to cut the one-way toll on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island with Brooklyn. Staten Island residents enrolled in E-ZPass will now pay $5.50, down from $6 or $6.36, depending on how often they cross the bridge. Truck drivers crossing the bridge over 10 times per month will see tolls slashed by 20 percent. The move will cost the state and MTA about $7 million each. A number of groups questioned the move, including urban planners, transportation advocates, and transit workers, who all say the money could be better spent. But Sam Schwartz, a congestion pricing booster, says high fees on a bridge that has nothing to do with the central business district are unfair, and that the lower price may reduce traffic on overused bridges.
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