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Port Authority head says toll hikes are too LOW, not enough to keep up with rest of the world
Punishing toll hikes may have enraged New Yorkers – but they weren’t steep enough, says Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward.
Critically needed upgrades at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and LaGuardia and Newark airports will be delayed because of cash shortages, Ward told construction execs Tuesday.
“The reality is that you cannot always do more with less,” the bistate agency boss told a New York Building Congress luncheon.
“Sometimes you simply must do more, and we’ll be playing catchup with the rest of the world until that reality becomes a part of our political conversation.”
Ward was careful not to criticize either Gov. Cuomo or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who scaled down the PA’s planned toll hike to a still-crushing $15 by 2015. The agency had wanted a fast $4 toll hike on Hudson River crossings, which was slashed to $1.50 this year for E-ZPass drivers.
