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Drivers may not like the idea of paying East River bridge tolls only to see that money invested in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But former MTA Chairman Richard Ravitch says the case could be made that without mass transit, congestion would be so bad as to make driving all but impossible.

"The automobile owner is in fact a real beneficiary of this massive public investment in our public transportation system," said Ravitch.

On Wednesday, Ravitch went before a state Assembly committee in Downtown Manhattan that is looking into the MTA bailout plan his commission proposed last week.

In the case of bridge tolls, Ravitch said the money would be used to dramatically expand bus service.

"I would not impose these tolls until I had the bus service in place," said Ravitch. "The people in this city and the surrounding counties are entitled to have that before they begin to pay for it."

The Ravitch Commission also recommended a tax on corporate payrolls, which Ravitch said could help raise the billions of dollars the MTA needs for construction projects. It could also help the agency scale back a fare hike which the MTA initially placed at 23 percent but the city's Independent Budget Office estimates could be as high as 28 percent.

The MTA board is expected to approve its 2009 budget next week, but a fare increase would not take effect until June, after another board vote is expected to take place in March.

So, the state Legislature has about three months to enact any of Ravitch's suggestions.

"Our hope is that the Legislature, as soon as it comes back in January with the new legislative session, pass this, and that will put it all to bed," said MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot "Lee" Sander.

Westchester Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who was a fierce critic of the mayor's congestion pricing plan, says he's not yet taking a stand on bridge tolls. But he says difficult choices will be necessary, so that the system does not deteriorate.

"We don't have an option of the easy, popular choice to save the subways and the buses," said Brodsky. "Which of the many unpopular difficult choices we adopt is why we're here today, but I don't think I'm ready to say, 'Yes, No, No, No, Yes.'"

What the Assembly approves will affect the summer's expected fare hikes.