"A large percentage of outer-borough residents live in areas that are inaccessible to mass transit," said State Senator Carl Kruger, whose district is in southern Brooklyn. "For these residents, an East River toll isn't just a toll. It's an additional $10 co-pay for a doctor's visit, an additional cost for buying a new TV, an additional charge for bringing a child to school."

Yesterday, M.T.A. Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger told people they should take transit to avoid the tolls. Several state senators have taken positions against tolls, and yesterday Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said he would do something to help the M.T.A., but was not clear what.