NEW YORK (WABC)– New York City’s controversial congestion pricing plan officially has a start date.
MTA President and CEO Janno Lieber joined Eyewitness News on Friday to announce that the plan will go into effect for New Yorkers early on Sunday, June 30 at 12:00:01 a.m.
“I’m excited, it’s a beautiful spring day in New York, I’m surrounded by tourists and people who came to lower Manhattan, they took public transportation,” Leiber said. “More than 90% of the population travels to the congestion zone, to the central business district, on foot, by bike and especially by public transport. We are a transit city and we are going to make life in New York even better. “.
The $15 toll will be put in place for cars traveling below 60th Street in the so-called congestion reduction zone during peak hours.
Lieber noted that because congestion pricing begins at midnight on the morning of June 30, early adopters will only be charged the nightly rate of $3.75. Drivers will not have to pay the $15 fee until 9 a.m. Sunday morning.
Officials say the toll will result in 100,000 fewer vehicles entering the Congestion Reduction Zone each day, leading to less traffic and cleaner air, and revenue generated from the program will fund critical transportation investments in common.
“Five years after the Legislature enacted New York State’s congestion pricing law, and with 4,000 pages of analysis, hundreds of hearings and advocacy meetings behind us, the New -Yorkers are ready to benefit – less traffic, cleaner air, safer streets and better public transit, “Freedom.
The final fee structure is based on the recommendations of the advisory committee:
Most passenger and passenger-type vehicles with commercial license plates would be charged a $15 toll during the peak period (5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends). end) and $3.75 per night. These vehicles would only be billed once a day.
Trucks and buses would be charged a toll of $24 or $36 during peak periods, depending on their size and purpose. Nightly tolls would be $6 and $8. Motorcycles would be charged $7.50, no more than once per day.
Passengers would be charged a toll of $1.25 per trip for taxis, green taxis and rental vehicles, and $2.50 per trip for trips dispatched by high-volume rental services such as Uber and Lyft. There would be no nightly discounts.
“July and August are the slowest times of year for yellow taxis as New Yorkers opt for walking and vacationing out of town,” said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. “During certain weeks in August, Manhattan resembles a ghost town, leaving drivers circling for hours in a desperate search for fares. Although now is not a good time for the MTA to add a third tax which will decimate the trips already made.
The MTA also unveiled a portal Friday for those interested in learning more about eligibility for discounts or exemptions. Anyone requiring an exemption can apply starting Friday.
Exemptions include: Low-Income Discount Plan, Individual Disability Exemption Plan, Organizational Disability Exemption Plan, Emergency Vehicles, Commuter Buses and Vans, and specialized government vehicles.
“We want to make sure people have enough time to apply for reductions and exemptions,” Lieber said. “Disabled people get a full exemption, low-income people get a big discount. We need them to have time for that.”
Additionally, New York State will offer a tax credit to low-income drivers who live in the Congestion Reduction Zone. More information on the tax credit will be released by the New York State Department of Finance in the fall.
Opponents say the fee is a burden on workers and will raise the prices of basic necessities trucked into the city. New York’s plan has sparked lawsuits from small business owners and the state of New Jersey, which are demanding more extensive environmental assessments before the plan is implemented.
Anthony Johnson has the latest on the response from New Jersey officials still fighting the plan.
“Not so fast. We expect a court ruling as soon as next month on whether the MTA’s unprecedented congestion pricing system can move forward, given the obvious flaws in the environmental review that was carried out here and the lack of mitigation provided for New Jersey’s environmental problem justice communities,” said New Jersey trial attorney Randy Mastro. “And this is just one of many ongoing and expected lawsuits challenging this extremely flawed plan. So the jury is still out.”
ALSO READ | Congestion pricing in New York: what you need to know
FILE – Heavy traffic fills Third Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York near the United Nations on September 20, 2021.
Ted Shaffrey
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