First: The MTA’s budget gap was caused as much—if not moreso—by the dropoff in real estate sales as what this site’s introduction refers to as “mismanagement and fiscal irresponsibility”. What would be truly irresponsible is to deny the MTA the stable funding stream they need in order to continue to safely operate and improve the system.

Second: Outer-borough politicians need to stop making up facts about “low income families” being harmed by the bridge tolling proposals. Lower income families don’t drive! They ride the subways and buses, and letting the MTA falter will harm them far more than tolling the bridges. Studies have shown that the overwhelming majority of outer-borough residents who commute into Manhattan use public transit, and that those who do drive earn almost twice as much on average than those who use other means. But please don’t take my word for it—take the time to research the real facts when evaluating alternatives, and avoid believing the self-serving fabrications that are being dressed up and passed around as facts.

Third: This city owes no favors to automobiles. Our capital improvement projects have favored cars over transit for the last 50 years and our quality of life has only suffered as a result. Toll the bridges! Make the tolls twice that of the subway fares, use the money to build a better transit system, and you’ll give people double the incentive to use it.

We absolutely need an MTA that is well-managed and fiscally responsible, but first we need an MTA that is properly funded. Let’s focus on keeping it running before we start talking about how to make it better.