The MTA board adopted a toll reduction for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the agency’s monthly board meeting yesterday, a move that was opposed by Tri-State and former Lieutenant Governor and MTA Chairman Richard Ravitch, and one that was criticized by several board members.

The toll relief program has been framed as a way to solve the “inequity” of high tolls that Staten Islanders pay. On top of the existing discount for Staten Island residents, the program lowers the toll to $5.50 (it currently ranges from $6 to $6.36) and also includes a 20 percent discount for commercial vehicles that use the bridge at least 10 times a month. The program will cost the MTA and New York State $7 million each — funds that could have otherwise been used to address the real inequity in Staten Island: that residents have limited transportation options beyond driving.

Despite its unanimous passage (minus one abstention), the proposal drew criticism from a number of board members in part due to politics. The toll reduction for Staten Islanders was pushed by Governor Cuomo, which led board member Mark Page, the only board member to abstain from the vote, to question whether the MTA would have ever considered the toll reduction if not for the Governor’s involvement.

Other board members echoed Tri-State’s position that the MTA should prioritize better transit access instead of encouraging driving. Board member Norman Brown asked why lower bus fares weren’t considered, and said that by focusing on lowering tolls instead of the borough’s other transit inequities, that the MTA is essentially bringing about more road building. Ira Greenberg echoed Brown’s sentiment, saying that if the MTA can find $7 million for lower tolls, then they can find $5 million to bolster transit and help offset the increased congestion that a toll reduction will cause.

In addition to doing nothing to provide real transit and mobility options for Staten Islanders, the move sets a terrible precedent for the region. Even before Wednesday’s vote, other parts of the state had already begun clamoring for toll reductions on their bridges. These forces will certainly be emboldened by Wednesday’s vote, and transit riders and drivers alike should be concerned about the impacts of reduced funding for transit, as well as policies that provide incentives for driving.

If reducing the toll for Staten Islanders is truly about solving inequities — and isn’t just an election year tactic — then the Governor must be an advocate for true toll reforms, like establishing tolls in places where there are alternatives to driving, and reducing them where there aren’t.