An audit by the Mass. Turnpike Authority found a significant amount of fraud in the tunnel discount program, according to today's Boston Herald. More than 17% of the people paying 40 cents instead of the $3 toll to go through the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels had either moved from East Boston, South Boston and the North End or used false addresses to claim residence in those neighborhoods."The abuse of the program is heightening calls to reduce the discount or eliminate it altogether," the story says. This is a call we've heard frequently in the past couple of years, especially from Turnpike board member Mary Connaughton. However, eliminating the program would require legislative approval, and such a move would be tough to get by House Speaker Sal DiMasi of the North End.
8 comments:
There's the perfect way to kill real estate in EB. I, like many other's, commute to work through the city. I would end up paying $7 each day just in tolls... before switching jobs, it would have been $9. Who would want to pay that much to live in EB, when they can live on the other side of the city in Southie, Dorchester, etc and skip the hefty toll all together?
Penalizing the citizens of EB by eliminating the discount, is not the answer to cracking down on those that use it improperly. If this were an appropriate solution, then everyone in MA should be paying the same auto insurance rates as those that live in Boston - since we all know that many people who live in parts of the city, have their cars registered in the suburbs to save on insurance premiums. It is the same thing. Curious to know what the precentage rate is on that.
As the saying goes... it is the cost of doing business. Leave it alone for the people who are eligible and do what you can to monitor and control the program. Why not make people get themselves re-certified once a year?
There's the perfect way to kill real estate in EB. I, like many other's, commute to work through the city. I would end up paying $7 each day just in tolls... before switching jobs, it would have been $9. Who would want to pay that much to live in EB, when they can live on the other side of the city in Southie, Dorchester, etc and skip the hefty toll all together?
Penalizing the citizens of EB by eliminating the discount, is not the answer to cracking down on those that use it improperly. If this were an appropriate solution, then everyone in MA should be paying the same auto insurance rates as those that live in Boston - since we all know that many people who live in parts of the city, have their cars registered in the suburbs to save on insurance premiums. It is the same thing. Curious to know what the precentage rate is on that.
As the saying goes... it is the cost of doing business. Leave it alone for the people who are eligible and do what you can to monitor and control the program. Why not make people get themselves re-certified once a year?
I agree with Jenafah. We have to show residency for our parking permits every year. How hard would it be to set up a similar system for the transponders.
The tolls penalize EB residents in many ways. If you miss the last train, good luck finding a taxi who is willing to come over to this side. They have to pay extra to return to Boston, usually eating up their tip. I've learned that I have to get in the car, let the driver start going, then I tell him where I want to go and then get on the phone with someone so that he can't just stop the car and kick me out. They aren't supposed to deny any passenger, but can you really blame them if they lose money on the transaction?
Lawmakers and bureaucrats can't figure out how to stop fraudulent behavior of people who aren't even residents of East Boston, and therefore the residents of East Boston should pay the price. The very notion is beyond ridiculous. We pay enough of a price hosting Boston's least desirable land uses. To be honest, Eastie residents shouldn't pay a dime. As a person who uses public transit 95% of the time and who doesn't keep a car I already pay more. I use a ZipCar, which is not only environmentally friendly but reduces strains on our infrastructure. What do I get for that? I get to pay $4.50 for the tolls. And because the transponders can't be used intelligently, they are limited to only those who own cars. Even with that restriction, they apparently can't even keep track of those who move or aren't even residents. The bureaucrats need to drop this ridiculous notion that the good citizens of East Boston should pay for their inability to simply enforce regulations, control fraud, and intelligently use the technology that is available.
From today's Herald
"Battling to curb Fast Lane fraud, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority will require thousands of Boston residents to appear in person to prove that they are eligible for a $2.60 tunnel discount.
Starting in November, Turnpike officials will begin sending letters telling more than 12,000 Boston residents that they must reregister for the discount or be booted from the program. Residents will be given a deadline to appear at an East Boston service center to show proof of residency."
The State should stop injecting money in to that 71 year old sumner/callahan tunnel, I say fill it up with cement and build a Lenny Zakim style design bridge for the residents of East Boston only, going from boston to East Boston,equipped with a bike and foot path. Stop wasting millions on that unsafe tunnel.
...some years ago,someone asked Mr. Travaglini about identifying East Boston as East Boston, and NOT as the airport. I think the mayor has been asked the same thing, having in the roads coming from Boston, a sign that said WELCOME TO EAST BOSTON, from all sides entering East Boston from Boston, and some other ideas. Why is it that East Boston does not get the attention from the State and City that deserves?
I still like to know what happened with the East Boston traffic study?
Congratulation to all who worked in the election process, NOW, we need a better school system, including better transportation for East Boston, cleaner and safety streets and with the immigration raids, there is a really BIG concern in the immigrant community, because there is not trust in the police now, like before...
do you guys think that we have to forget about the ice-cream truck??
Really, is Mr. Trav going to identify his new home of Winthrop as the airport then?
Also, did you see him on TV last night with his Red Sox jacket on? Hmm, pretty blasphemous for a Yankees' fan.
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