Governor orders transit agency to drop bid to tax NYC Marathon $750K for use of Verrazzano bridge

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s governor has ordered the state’s transit agency to drop efforts to impose a $750,000 fee on the New York City Marathon for using the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday also encouraged the New York Road Runners, organizers of the venerable race, to find other ways to generate revenue for mass transit, such as purchasing advertising on public buses and trains. The governor said she has directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to “allow the marathon to move forward as it always has.” The MTA declined to comment, and a spokesperson for the Road Runners didn’t immediately comment.