Last year, when runners from all over the world crowded at the foot of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge for the start of New York City’s iconic marathon, the MTA couldn’t stop bragging about how many people took the subways that day to watch the event.
“There’s nothing like Marathon Sunday to show that New York City’s comeback is alive and well.” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said at the time.
“I rode the subway five times to watch my daughter run, and felt the energy and excitement first-hand at every stop. Kudos to the NYC Transit team, who stepped up like they always do, with smart planning and preparation to get millions of fans and athletes where they needed to go.”
Now, the Mismanaged Transportation Authority wants New York Road Runners, the organizers of the marathon, to pay the agency $750,000 to cover the lost toll revenue associated with shutting down the bridge for the big November race.
How soon they forget.
Gov. Hochul shut down that idea quicker than the MTA can shut down a subway line, but the upshot was already clear: The MTA is nothing more than a money-grubbing enterprise that wants to separate commuters from their cash.
How else do you explain such an outlandish request on the heels of its controversial congestion pricing plan?
It wasn’t enough that the MTA wants to stick up commuters with its onerous penalty that would punish drivers with a $15 toll for having a car in Midtown Manhattan.
Now, officials at the agency won’t be happy until all the marathon runners have an EZ-Pass transponder pasted to their foreheads.
Just because the runners can get across the five boroughs faster than some of the MTA’s trains, that is no reason to punish the organization that signs them up for the race.
The MTA had threatened to shut down one level of the bridge to marathoners, which could have cut into the estimated 50,000 runners already expecting to run in November’s race.
A bridge toll charge could have also meant an increase in entry fees for the runners.
“Taxpayers cannot be expected to subsidize a wealthy non-government organization like the New York Road Runners to the tune of $750,000,” the MTA had said in a statement.
But what the statement didn’t say was that the marathon generates an estimated $427 million boost to New York City’s tourism and tax revenue, according to race officials.
Last year, New York Road Runners said it contributed $150,000 toward the costs of shutting down the bridge. Race organizers said the MTA hasn’t accounted for how they came up with the other $600,000.
“We remain willing to negotiate, but any resolution should reflect the significant value the M.T.A. derives from the marathon, including the increased ridership over marathon weekend,” New York Road Runners said in its own statement.
Hochul had the last word, and quickly derailed the idea.
“The marathon is an iconic symbol of New York City’s tenacity and resilience that unites communities across the five boroughs each fall,” Hochul said. “I’ve directed the MTA to fix this mess and allow the marathon to move forward as it always has.”
The key words here are “move forward,” a direction the MTA might want to try for a change.
Agency officials have bigger issues to deal with than nickel-and-diming a bunch of long-distance runners.
They need to be able to convince subway riders that they can get from Kew Gardens to Queens Plaza without getting slashed or pushed in front of a train.
LEONARD GREENE: MTA’s money-grubbing plan to charge NYC Marathon group for bridge toll was off track
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07.04.2024
Last year, when runners from all over the world crowded at the foot of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge for the start of New York City’s iconic marathon, the MTA couldn’t stop bragging about how many people took the subways that day to watch the event.
“There’s nothing like Marathon Sunday to show that New York City’s comeback is alive and well.” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said at the time.
“I rode the subway five times to watch my daughter run, and felt the energy and excitement first-hand at every stop. Kudos to the NYC Transit team, who stepped up like they always do, with smart planning and preparation to get millions of fans and athletes where they needed to go.”
Now, the Mismanaged Transportation Authority wants New York Road Runners, the organizers of the marathon, to pay the agency $750,000 to cover the lost toll revenue associated........
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