Revere voters can see that new City Council that was elected last November is not wasting any time in putting forth a variety of motions. There are motions that deal with every aspect of what municipal government should be focused on.
One motion that jumps out is from Councillors Joanne Mc Kenna and Steven Morabito about having Revere residents receive a discount on tolls for the Tobin Bridge, Callahan Tunnel and Ted Williams Tunnel.
This request for a reduced toll road for Revere commuters has been going on for more than a decade and is something that should bwe approved by State officials. Presently, commuters in the communities of East Boston, Charlestown, North End and Chelsea all receive discounts if they use these toll roads. The genesis for this argument is that residents in these communities are negatively impacted by the traffic that flows over these roadways.
What about Revere?
One only has to look at the traffic jams every morning for commuters from as far away as New Hampshire that clog not only Route 1 heading to or from the Tobin Bridge, but also American Legion Highway in the morning and night rush hours almost on a daily basis. The only effect, state officials argue is that the traffic sits on state roadways that only cut through Revere. Our argument is that these tens of thousands of cars and trucks that sit on these state roadways are effecting our quality of life as much as the residents in Chelsea, Charlestown, North End and East Boston.
On Monday night in Charlestown, residents at a public meeting were producing facts about how the air quality in their community has been negatively affected by the rush hour traffic on Rutherford Avenue, I-93 and the Tobin Bridge. While we are not experts on air quality, one can contend that the same traffic jams that are having a negative impact in these communities are also having the same negative impact on our residents.
While no amount of money can make up for health issues, it is time that the same consideration given to the commuters of the four communities that get toll breaks be given to Revere commuters.
Afterall, it is only fair.