MTA announces official start date for congestion pricing in New York City - June 30th
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City's controversial congestion pricing plan officially has a start date.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber joined Eyewitness News on Friday to announce the plan will go into effect for New Yorkers early on Sunday, June 30, at 12:00:01 a.m.
"I am thrilled, it's a beautiful spring day in New York, I'm surrounded by tourists and people who came to lower Manhattan, they took mass transit," Leiber said. "Ninety percent-plus of the people come to the congestion zone, the central business district, walking, biking and most of all taking mass transit. We are a mass transit city and we are going to make it even better to be in New York."
The $15 toll will be implemented for cars driving below 60th Street in the so-called Congestion Relief Zone during peak hours.
Officials say the toll will result in 100,000 fewer vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone every day, resulting in less traffic and cleaner air and revenue generated from the program will fund critical transit investments.
Most passenger vehicles 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. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends), and $3.75 overnight. Those vehicles would be charged only once a day.
Trucks and buses would be charged a $24 or $36 toll in the peak period, depending on their size and purpose. Overnight tolls would be $6 and $8. Motorcycles would be charged $7.50, no more than once per day
"We want to make sure people had enough time to apply for the discounts and exemptions," Lieber said. "People with disabilities entitled to a full exemption, low-income folks are entitled to a significant discount. We need them to have time for that."
Whether it’s good or not, I think we are letting the MTA off the hook with gross mismanagement of their budget/funds. Their argument is that the toll revenue will support capital projects. Problem with that is, as every New Yorker knows, MTA takes FOREVER to do anything and overspends like crazy on anything. Look at how much time it took to do the Second Ave Subway and how much they overspent. You can also look at the East Side Access project for further proof. MTA spends more money per mile on capital projects than comparable cities such as London, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.
Also, the state of the subway leaves much to be desired - insanely dirty, unreliable train service, and rather unsafe conditions in terms of crime. I would fully support the toll (maybe not as high as $15) if the MTA proved to be responsible with providing good service (like London’s and Paris’s transit system) and managing money. However, I can bet that in 5 or so years, MTA will come back and say they still have a shortfall and need more money to fund projects.
Also want to add, I think it’ll relieve congestion temporarily. Look at London. There was study that traffic improved within the first few years of congestion pricing but then after some time, traffic went back its normal capacity pre-congestion pricing because people adjusted to the new tolls.
Last but not least, congestion pricing seems to excessively punitive considering residents of NY already have to pay high state and city income taxes, and various tolls such Battery Tunnel, Midtown Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, GW Bridge, Throgs Neck, Verrazzano, and Tappanzee.
Yes, the management is horrid. I saw something about how it would be in the 9 figures just to build a subway station (not the actual tunnels/etc, just the station itself) which is crazy - esp so compared to other public transportations around the world, that are much cleaner, much more efficient, and much more timely for far less cost.
An excerpt from a 2018 article:
How/why do you think it might be good?
It won't really change anything, and is just a money grab by the city.
The MD's comp is irrelevant to the issue and whether it's right/wrong, good/bad.
High income/wealth doesn't change the argument; it only uses a logical fallacy to argue something different.
It's not a question of whether the MD can afford it, it's a question of whether it should exist at all).
I'll give you my example...
• I live in UES, above 60th.
• Midtown office, below 60th.
• If you live in UES above 60th, to do almost anything around the city, you have to cross 60th, meaning that you would have to pay $15 just to leave your neighborhood.
The issue is that it forces to pay $15 to leave your neighborhood, or to cross the street.
I argue that I shouldn't have to pay $15 just to travel several blocks down, to my office, or to do anything else in the area.
I could also argue that we should be free to move around our city, and our neighborhoods, and that our taxes should be deemed sufficient.
It creates a scenario where a person might feel almost captive/punished for leaving home (at least in theory), or hindered from enjoying the city that we already pay (and often overpay) to enjoy.
I could understand a bridge/tunnel between state/city jurisdictions (and in theory, paying for bridge construction).
However, to impose a $15 fee *within* the same city, simply between certain neighborhoods (aimed at generating revenue from certain neighborhoods), is absurd, and is merely intended as a money grab from those residents who the city seeks to hold captive into paying more, with no real difference to the claimed problem likely to occur.
(Honking is part of living in the city, if you find it so alarming, then you aren't likely from here, and likely aren't a property tax payer, which is the issue for many of us -- our property taxes should grant us free movement around our neighborhood, as it grants us a right to be here and enjoy living here).
I also see a potential legal challenge, as the current plan could be deemed arbitrary, and seeking to restrict freedom of movement within your local neighborhood.
Yes, I understand that it only applies to vehicles, but if I have a private driver who drives me to the office (as many companies might), that $15 will be passed on to me (as not qualifying as a taxi/rideshare). If I decide to take my own personal car (in UES garage), to do almost anything, then that is another $15, I get charged.
It isn't necessarily the expense, it's the point, of having to pay just to leave my neighborhood.
We already pay various taxes to live/work here, and we should be able to move around our neighborhood, without having to pay to go across the street, etc.
Yes, we might pay specific fees to do certain leisure activities -- but we can choose to do an activity/or not.
Instead, we will have to pay $15, just to move/travel around our extended neighborhood.
It isn't like an activity that you can choose not to engage in; it imposes a fee that can't be avoided, just to leave your neighborhood.
It asserts that paying property tax only grants you partial access to your own neighborhood/city, that you already pay to be here and to enjoy.
Also, from what I understand, the few exceptions they have for low income people, are only a tax credit at the end of the year, which still takes immediate money out of their pocket, which they might need. If a person is low income, getting a tax credit next year doesn't help them pay for something today.
However, it isn't a question of being able to afford it; it's a question of whether I should have to pay additional money just to leave my neighborhood, and to enjoy the city where I already pay various taxes to live/work here.
Any increase in fees or taxes by the city, should call into debate a lot of the waste and financial decision-making of the city.
They want to give out money on debit cards to illegal 'migrants' and yet, I'm supposed to pay extra just to leave my neighborhood?
I see it being a big issue in the next election for Mayor/City council, and the UES is famously willing to spend heavy/use influence to sway the election. I think it will be part of what will cause a few elected seats to change.
I also see it being the focus of extended litigation, which is likely to stop fees from being charged, at least from being charged in the current way/current map.
(Excuse my extended rant, I was typing on my phone, and kept adding to it while doing other things, but the topic leads to frustration).
Thanks for the helpful insight. I was told the congestion fee was just nj to nyc (why I referenced the lincoln tunnel beeping), so I guess a lot of people are misinformed then and spreading this notion.
The MTA is a bloated welfare program designed to provide employment to a certain demographic, that just also happens to run a dysfunctional transit system incidentally.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Sucks to be in NYC
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