NEW YORK — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday ordered the state’s transit agency to drop its efforts to impose a $750,000 fee on the New York City Marathon for using the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
The Democratic governor also encouraged the New York Road Runners, organizers of the venerable race held on the first Sunday of each November, to find other ways to generate revenue for public transportation, such as buying advertising on public buses and trains.
“The marathon is an iconic symbol of New York City’s tenacity and resilience that unites communities across the five boroughs each fall,” he said in a statement. “I have directed the MTA to fix this issue and allow the marathon to proceed as it always has.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees New York’s bridges and tunnels, declined to comment on the governor’s directive. A spokesperson for the Road Runners did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The MTA has said the fee represents the estimated amount of toll revenue lost when the nation’s longest suspension bridge closes for the 26.2-mile race, which is the world’s largest marathon with more than 50,000 participants annually. .
The Road Runners have argued that the MTA enjoys increased revenue from increased transit ridership during the marathon week that “more than offsets” any loss of toll revenue from the bridge, which links the Brooklyn and Staten Island boroughs of New York City and is named after the first European explorer to sail into New York Harbor.
2024-04-05 03:38:25
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