If New York City’s East River bridges were on a Monopoly board, the Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges would be akin to landing on "Free Parking" because they are not tolled crossings.
That is "just insane," says Samuel Schwartz, a former NYC deputy transportation commissioner also known as "Gridlock Sam." Since major highways lead to the East River’s toll crossings, scores of drivers—including truckers—transition to city streets to get to the free bridges. The Queensboro is a popular choice, as about 50,000 cars and trucks a year use it to avoid the tolls, exacerbating problems in the area including gridlock, pollution and safety concerns, he says. Also, with hefty tolls on four Staten Island bridges, "one would think Staten Island is the city’s central business district," says Schwartz, who is also president and CEO of the eponymous New York-based engineering firm.