Dear Transit Sam,
I am sending this note to thank you on behalf of the community members on the Lower East Side who encouraged me to contact you for help in getting the M21 bus to stop near the entrance to the Broadway/Lafayette subway station. Before the installation of the new bus stop near Houston St. and Broadway, the M21 would instead stop two blocks away at Mott or Greene streets heading in the westbound direction. It took six months, but the mission of getting a new bus stop was finally accomplished thanks largely to the efforts of yourself and Council Member Margaret Chin’s staff. I also offer special thanks for keeping us abreast of developments and following up at frequent intervals. I’ve used the new stop several times and really appreciate what a difference it makes, especially with all the snow we’ve had the past few weeks.
Mel, Lower East Side
Dear Mel,
Your welcome and thank you as well for the great suggestion! Your rationale made complete sense, and it was an added incentive to use mass transit. I’m glad you’re enjoying the new stop.
Transit Sam
Dear Transit Sam,
I heard that if you use a New Jersey E-Z Pass at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, you do not get the discount. In other words, a New York E-Z Pass pays $4.80 but an NJ E-Z Pass pays $6.50. Is this correct?
U.C., Battery Park City
Dear U.C.
Yes. If you register your E-Z Pass with the NJ Turnpike Authority (which includes the Garden State Parkway) you won’t receive the MTA discount. But, if you register your E-Z Pass with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, you’re eligible for the discount on all MTA facilities (for major crossings, it’s $4.80 instead of $6.50). The other agencies that you can register your E-Z Pass with (whether you live in NY or NJ) to receive the MTA discount includes the MTA, the New York Thruway Authority and the New York State Bridge Authority. You can register your E-Z Pass wherever you like but you must call the service center since the online system signs you up according to zip code. The number is 1-888-288-6865. You can have more than one E-Z Pass and you should register it wherever you are going to drive most frequently.
Transit Sam
