The New York City Marathon is the largest and most high-profile in the world.
What do you do if you’re an official from the New York City Transit agency? Try to shake them down, of course—in this case to the tune of $750,000 to pay for the lost toll revenue they claim comes from closing off the Verrazzano Bridge to vehicular traffic during the test of endurance. Runners have used both decks of the bridge for the last 36 years—and organizers claim a report shows the spectacle generates an estimated $427 million from tourism, tax revenues, and overall economic activity. That should more than make up for the lost toll revenue, they argue.
My first thought on reading about this cash grab—the bridge normally pulls in $750,000 in a relatively short period of time?! Wow. No wonder living in Manhattan is so expensive.
Oh, and by the way, the event even made an additional $1.1 million…
