Love Those Bridge Tolls

[Ragin]

EDITORIAL
Love Those Bridge Tolls - Feb. 2009
By Teddy Linenfelser

Efforts to have bridge tolls removed were put into action right after the Grand Island bridges opened in 1935 and have continued ever since. The removal of the 25 cent toll in the 1930s and 1940s was worth fighting for. Today's E-ZPass rate of nine cents for residents seems insignificant, and the number of residents opposed to these campaigns is probably larger than anyone might think. Could we be the silent majority?

Grand Island is a community of middle class citizens who pay a very miniscule amount with E-ZPass to return to their Island. Those working to have tolls removed altogether believe bridge congestion will disappear without the collection of the $1.00 and those using the convenient E-ZPass lanes. Congestion can't possibly disappear when five lanes of traffic travel through the toll booths and immediately merge into two lanes of cars, trucks, motor homes and tractor trailers.

Is it cash or congestion the campaigners find fault with?

Not only would removing the tolls not fix congestion on the bridges, it might be cause for more accidents due to the fact that no one has to stop or at least slow down to five miles per hour going through the booths. Removal of the tolls would bring more traffic to the two-lane bridges. More traffic means more congestion than we have right now. We have lived here for many years. My family moved here 67 years ago. With each decade, there were a greater number of commuters crossing our bridges, all stopping to pay the toll. Did our population remain the same due to people not wanting to move here because of the original twenty-five cents? The answer is no. In fact the census figures show the population of Grand Island rose by 2000 between 1940 and 1950 and another 6500 from 1950 to 1960. The population continued to grow by leaps and bounds from 1960 to 1980. We are still growing, certainly not at the predicted rate and in the past 27 years growth has slowed considerably.

Crime here has never reached the level of similar communities. Why? Because lowlife thieves would have to steal the $1.00 bridge toll to get here. If the removal of the bridge tolls ever occurs, developers will be quick to build subdivisions of low-income housing, with the resulting problems this would bring. Is this why we moved here? Some will say we need low-income housing for our grown children just starting out. But the truth is most of those young people who want to stay on Grand Island, have found a suitable and affordable place to live in the lower income developments we already have at both ends of the Island.

Are these folks who are fighting to have the tolls removed, hoping to put the saved 9 cents in their pocket on a daily basis, or do they see it as a benefit to have five lanes of traffic merge at the entrance to the south bridge without having to slow down for the toll booths? Well, this increased traffic will certainly have to slow down, as it will be nearly impossible at any hour of the day to cruise through at a reasonable speed.

For the past several years, the Grand Island Fire Company has responded to multiple car crashes on the bridges, with several motor vehicle accidents occurring at the same time. The situation would only become worse due to more traffic from those who took alternate routes to avoid the tolls. Let's keep the tolls in place at least until the day an alternative to the two-lane bridges is found.

Isn't it time the silent majority speaks out?

http://www.isledegrande.com/

[fiona]

Mr. Linenfelser is very wise. Instead of more bridges or eliminating the tolls which would only bring more urban sprawl to the Island maybe they should turn River Road into an expressway into Niagara Falls.

[Anotherview]

I agree to keep the tolls. What's frustrating is that they always do not have 3 e-z pass only lanes open during rush hour. Some days there are only 2 lanes and traffic is always backed up. On the days they open 3 lanes, there is hardly ever a back up problem.

[Ragin]

I thought I was the only one that thought we should keep the tolls. I've made the same arguments here on SU that Teddy wrote in the Island Dispatch.

[Anotherview]

I thought I was the only one that thought we should keep the tolls. I've made the same arguments here on SU that Teddy wrote in the Island Dispatch.

I am with you Ragin. I will never forget when I moved here 15 years ago, people went to the Town Meeting to complain about having to use E-Z. The complaint was that they didn't have a choice. I found some humor in that.

[fiona]

I thought I was the only one that thought we should keep the tolls. I've made the same arguments here on SU that Teddy wrote in the Island Dispatch.

Not at all. I'm second gen Islander and my parents left back in the 80's thinking it was going to turn into Manhattan. As much as some people hate them I think we can thank the bridges and tolls for that not happening.

[Anotherview]

Not at all. I'm second gen Islander and my parents left back in the 80's thinking it was going to turn into Manhattan. As much as some people hate them I think we can thank the bridges and tolls for that not happening.

Fiona: Do you live at the South or North end?

[fiona]

Fiona: Do you live at the South or North end?

South end. Near Fix & East River.

[Anotherview]

South end. Near Fix & East River.

Okay, I am at the north end

[Ragin]

I moved here from NYC 15 years ago. Took a little bit getting used to, but I love the peace and quiet here.

[Ragin]

Okay, I am at the north end

I'm near the center of town, south of Whitehaven

[Anotherview]

I moved here from NYC 15 years ago. Took a little bit getting used to, but I love the peace and quiet here.

OMG Ragin, that must have seemed like culture shock. I moved here from the city but it didn't take me long at all to get use to the peace and quiet. I love it here.

[Anotherview]

I'm near the center of town, south of Whitehaven


Are you involved in politics (on the Island) at all?

[Ragin]

OMG Ragin, that must have seemed like culture shock. I moved here from the city but it didn't take me long at all to get use to the peace and quiet. I love it here.

All of WNY was a culture shock .. lol :D

[Anotherview]

All of WNY was a culture shock .. lol :D

Yes, it's a little bit more laid back here and you can actually drive your car.

[Ragin]

Are you involved in politics (on the Island) at all?

No .. hard to get a word in edge wise when our local activist is on a roll ;)

[Anotherview]

No .. hard to get a word in edge wise when our local activist is on a roll ;)

Okay, let me in on the secret, who is our local activist. Are you talking about Mike?

[Ragin]

Okay, let me in on the secret, who is our local activist. Are you talking about Mike?

nope .. speaking of the guy who hates those tolls

[Anotherview]

nope .. speaking of the guy who hates those tolls

From what I hear here and read, I think we have a pretty good local government. Since I am on the IP Committee and also secretary, I get to meet all of the candidates. Many have been on the board for years and I have been in their company many times.

[Ragin]

From what I hear here and read, I think we have a pretty good local government. Since I am on the IP Committee and also secretary, I get to meet all of the candidates. Many have been on the board for years and I have been in their company many times.

Its a small town. Hard not to know our Town Board members in some capacity.

[Surfing USA]

Not at all. I'm second gen Islander and my parents left back in the 80's thinking it was going to turn into Manhattan. As much as some people hate them I think we can thank the bridges and tolls for that not happening.Why do people hate your parents? :eek:

Thinking Grand Island was going to turn into another Manhattan, is no reason to hate someone. :mad:

[therising]

I'd like to try reasoning with Rus with one S, by saying "Did you NOT notice that your house was on an island when you moved there?"

I would support removing the tolls, only if they then pave over the Niagara River, and extend the Tonawanda refinery to Beaver Island. :)

[Ragin]

Time for Love Affair to End - March 2009
If the self proclaimed 'silent majority' believes this battle is about nine cents you could not be more misguided. In fact, I believe the reduced rate for high volume users is intended to keep us from complaining about this tax. That however is a topic for another day.
Let's start with some facts. Both our Town Board and the Erie County Legislature passed resolutions calling for the removal of the tolls in early 2008. Both called for the removal based upon the negative economic impact on Island businesses. Most recently, and perhaps more significantly, the Legislature, passed a new resolution calling for the removal of tolls due to the serious health impacts of automobile exhaust, specifically benzene, on individuals and the environment. Benzene has been classified by the DEC as a Class-A Carcinogen. That definition, as explained to me, is that an irrefutable scientific body of evidence links the substance to cancer. The experts tells us we can reduce the amount of environmental benzene by reducing high concentrations of idling vehicles or congestion at the tolls. In a discussion with Legislator Iannello, she suggested a traffic study to determine the amount of congestion that would be reduced if the tolls were removed. At the time, I thought it a good idea, but a waste of resources. If cars keep moving, the backup decreases. The toll barrier would be removed and the merge to two lanes could occur over a longer stretch of road. While a bottleneck would still exist, traffic would not be required come to a complete stop. We know this works, because we navigate the bridge faster than those stopping to pay the toll. However, since the "silent majority" may not believe this to be true, a study may be in order.
How about population? Well, local Realtors will advise that the main reason people do not move here is that the community lacks essential services. Sure, we have an overpriced supermarket and our share of pharmacies, but what about when you need a gift or some clothing? We should all be better about supporting our local businesses, but we simply do not have the population to support them by ourselves. The tolls create a competitive disadvantage for our businesses as consumers do not pay the added expense to frequent our businesses. With a depressed population, and lack of business presence to increase the tax base, residents share of taxes will have to increase to support the services we have come to enjoy. We are about to learn of the future cost of retiree health insurance. This, like the teachers retirement is an untouchable in the budget. It costs what it costs and we have to pay it. Thank you New York State. Even if Grand Island is spared a significant hit from retiree health, we have been experiencing tax increases on the County, State and Federal level. Without an increase in population or new business to add to the overall tax roll, we as taxpayers will have to make up that increased expense. The real cost of the toll is far more than nine cents.
I ask only that the "silent majority" take a look at the true impact of the tolls on our precious Island. Removal of the tolls will not make us Amherst. We do not want it and our Town officials simply will not allow it. We need smart growth, both residential and commercial, to allow our Town to continue to be a grand place to live, work and play.
Rob Ratajczak
Posted March 5, 2009

isledegrande.com (http://www.speakupwny.com/forums/isledegrande.com)

[Ragin]

Bridge Tolls - Jim Mulcahy - March 12, 2009
This is in response to Mr. Ratajczak's letter. To go directly to the conclusion, I disagree with him on all but one point. He talks about the fact that the Town board and the County Legislature passed resolutions calling for their removal. So what? I called Iannello's office last year and the woman who answered was shocked that I was opposed to removing them. I explained why. She had never thought about the issues I raised. Iannello just assumed that everyone was for it, because it would save us nine cents. They didn't think past stage one. Iannello's latest resolution is more pandering. The benzene issue is a canard. Have you ever been stopped at one of the NYC bridges, or stood at 50th St. and Fifth Ave. in NYC at rush hour, or Madison and State in Chicago? Why haven't all lights and tolls been removed in these locations if benzene is so bad? There may be an irrefutable scientific body of evidence linking it to cancer, but again, so what? Saccharine, also, has an irrefutable body of evidence linking it to cancer, which is why it was banned. Of course, one would have had to drink three 16-ounce bottles an hour, fourteen hours a day to ingest quantities that would have put one at the thresholds that cause cancer. One's kidneys and bank account would have given out first. Also, just because the DEC classifies it as a carcinogen, keep in mind that it is no fun being a regulator if you don't have anything to regulate.
I wasn't aware that a clothing store or a gift shop were essential services? This is a real stretching of the term essential. Tops may be "overpriced" but they bring the goods to you, saving you the trip off of the Island. He says we should all be better at supporting our local businesses and then in the next breath he wants off-Islanders to stop supporting their local businesses and support ours!
Yes, the toll is a cost but it is a minor aspect of the cost of patronizing businesses on the Island. The cost of gas and the value of one's time swamp the effect of the toll. No one is going to come to GI to buy a greeting card or quart of milk. There is nothing unique about GI in these areas. The professional services industry or Fuccillo market sufficiently high priced goods that the total commuting costs are a small fraction of the total cost. If there is something special about one's service people will pay an extra dollar for it, just ask BMW. One could hand off-Island customers a buck as they left to cover the toll.
His section on taxes is confused, at best. If more people move to GI , unless they are childless, the demand for teachers will rise. Therefore, there won't be any savings on govt. retiree salaries. Until the State goes to a Defined Contribution pension plan for state employees, we will continue to be hit and that goes through our income taxes. The only way to avoid that tax is to move out of state. I am at a loss as to how taxes at the County, State, and Federal level would be ameliorated by increased population or businesses on GI. I can assure you that our state and federal tax rates aren't indexed in some fashion to reflect the fact GI has only 20,000 people.
We will look like Amherst if the tolls go. People who move here now don't do it willy-nilly but really buy into the ethos of GI. There is nothing to guarantee that will continue. The fact that we don't want it and our town officials simply won't allow it reflects a real naivety with how govts. work. If there were votes in it, town officials someday in the future would pander to that constituency just like they did with the sewer district to support the Holiday Inn and River Oaks.
He states, "The real cost of the toll is far more than nine cents." He is right, but not for the reasons he thinks. Simply put, there will be substantially more traffic over the bridges, including more truck traffic, with the overwhelming preponderance being non-Islanders "cutting through" if the tolls are eliminated.
Just look what happened on the 190 when the tolls were removed. The commute is a good ten minutes longer, with much more stop-and-go traffic, as more people have started driving to work. So, we have saved $.75 in tolls at the expense of ten minutes, thus valuing our time at $4.50/hour. Our gas consumption has increased due to the stop and go nature of the traffic. Since there hasn't been an influx of people to WNY on account of the elimination of the tolls, the additional drivers must be former bus riders. We can look to having to pay more property taxes to underwrite the increased NFTA losses. If enough people drive we can expect to see higher parking fees downtown. The roadbed will also deteriorate faster. Yeah, removing those tolls was a great idea!
Currently, it is a nuisance to get on the southbound South bridge in the morning, where there are no tolls. The traffic backs up to Love Rd. on the Beaver Island Parkway and on the thruway overpass coming from the Boulevard. (What are we going to do about that benzene?) This situation exists because of the increased traffic coming across the Island, due among other things to the elimination of afore-mentioned tolls on the 190.
While eliminating the tolls will increase traffic, that is, demand, the supply of bridges can't increase, so the congestion will worsen. If one thinks it is a problem now trying to get on the thruway at rush hour , wait until the traffic increases. The increased traffic, especially trucks, will deteriorate the roads faster. Even if the money to repair them comes from the tooth fairy, there still would be the cost in terms of inconvenience while they are being fixed. The correct thing to do is to complete the LaSalle Expressway around to the Twin Cities Extension and/or the 990. Most of the traffic across the Island is from vehicles attempting to get to the mainline thruway or Canada. Why do we want more traffic crossing the island? The tolls force traffic to slow down as they exit off the 290 or enter from Sheridan Drive, as well as head north on the 190. If there was no need to slow down there would be five lanes of traffic plus those attempting futilely to enter from River Road squeezing into two lanes. The accident rate will increase.
From a purely provincial viewpoint, the tolls provide Grand Island with a level of police protection that it could never afford. Grand Island is as large as Manhattan in area with 20,000 or so residents. Does anyone think we could afford to patrol it if it was open season here?
Yes, the true costs are more than the nine cents we pay.
Jim Mulcahy
Posted March 11, 2009

isledegrande.com

[Ragin]

Bridge Tolls - Christopher Yoder - March 12, 2009
I, like many, moved to Grand Island to enjoy a quality of life lost in many of the suburbs of Buffalo. Grand Island has an atmosphere similar to East Aurora or the Elma of old while also being 15 minutes from downtown. This is an oasis which manages to exist without the congestion, crime and environmental degradation found in Amherst, Cheektowaga or Tonawanda.
While eliminating the tolls would without doubt benefit business and prospective land developers (or those holding title to large tracts of land), I feel it will do irreparable harm to those wishing to make Grand Island their home for years to come. While the argument can be made that property owners will have to pay a heavier tax burden without growth, there is still a basic premise to adhere to..."there is no free lunch". Who will pay for the infrastructure upgrades in preparation for this expansion? Who will pay for the needed police and municipal facilities? If growth is the answer, then explain why my taxes in Cheektowaga were twice what I pay in Grand Island? Is there a vacancy in that town or lack of growth? One must only look at what is found just across the north bridge to see what a future without the tolls looks like. Will that do wonders for property values?
I submit that Mr. Ratajczak as a corporate attorney is speaking from a perspective of potential personal gain just as Mr. Thompson does. The "silent majority" view Grand Island as a place to live and raise a family, not as a business opportunity. This may be the root of the problem. I know that I for one will be putting my house on the market the very day the tolls are removed and I expect that many others would follow suit.
Christopher Yoder
Posted March 11, 2009

isledegrande.com (http://www.speakupwny.com/forums/isledegrande.com)