By PHILIP MARCELO (Associated Press)
The organizers of the New York City Marathon will soon need to pay a toll to cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, according to New York transit officials.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is requesting that the New York Road Runners, who organize the race held on the first Sunday of November, pay about $750,000 for using the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
The agency in charge of New York’s bridges and tunnels states that the fee is equal to the approximate amount of toll revenue lost when the country's longest suspension bridge is closed.
Catherine Sheridan, president of MTA’s department of bridges and tunnels, said, “New Yorkers love Marathon Sunday, but taxpayers cannot be expected to subsidize a wealthy non-government organization like the New York Road Runners to the tune of $750,000.
The Road Runners have resisted this demand, contending that the MTA benefits from increased revenue due to higher transit ridership during marathon week, which they believe compensates for any lost toll revenue from the bridge. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connects Brooklyn and Staten Island and is named after the first European explorer to sail into the New York Harbor.
The organization also pointed out that the 2019 marathon brought in an estimated $427 million for the city, significantly boosting tourism, tax revenues, and the economy, according to an economic impact report commissioned in 2020.
Crystal Howard, a spokesperson for the organization, mentioned, “The impact of MTA’s request would represent a material change to the cost structure and would require an increase to how much runners pay to run the Marathon, making it less affordable for local runners and those who travel to New York City from around the world—both of whom contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the City’s and State’s economy.”
She mentioned that the organization has repeatedly asked the MTA to provide data to support their claim of $750,000 in lost revenue, but they have not received it.
The agency has also refused to share data regarding the revenue generated by the increased ridership during marathon week, despite Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announcing after last year‘s marathon that the MTA experienced “record subway ridership” on race day, Howard said.
The Road Runners are open to negotiating with transit officials, but any agreement should recognize the “significant value” the agency gains from the marathon, which has used the bridge since 1976.
The MTA has also threatened to limit the marathon to using only one of its two traffic decks if it doesn’t pay, but the Road Runners stated that such a decision would greatly impede the race, which is the largest marathon globally, hosting over 50,000 participants every year.
The organization mentioned that it may have to reduce the number of runners or extend the total marathon time if it doesn’t comply, causing the bridge and other city roadways to remain closed for an even longer period on race day.
The MTA did not answer additional questions, but Sheridan, in her statement, mentioned that the agency is also willing to collaborate with the organization on a compromise, as long as it ultimately results in full reimbursement for the lost revenue.
