Gov. Hochul Gives a Green Light to the MTA’s Congestion Pricing Program
On Thursday, November 14th, Governor Hochul officially announced her approval to move ahead with the launch of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Congestion Pricing Program, having unexpectedly paused the scheduled June 2024 rollout just weeks before. Perhaps not the best political move short-term, but on merit, congestion pricing is correct — “vehicles should pay for entering traffic-clogged corridors accessible by public transit.” Without some sort of toll implementation, the gaping holes in the MTA’s capital budget will remain; and potentially lead to further deterioration of the subway and bus system. Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone “covers 60th Street and below, encompassing the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown tunnels, and the Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges.” As part of the approval, the $15 toll price will be lowered to $9, which will be charged to most drivers entering the Congestion Relief Zone during peak hours — 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Exemptions were previously “carved out for emergency and government vehicles, school and commuter buses, low-income drivers and those with medical conditions that prevent them from taking mass transit. The $9 e-pass fee is locked in for the next two years, and starting in 2028, the MTA can then raise it to $12 according to the Governor’s office. The MTA has provided a link on the Congestion Pricing home page providing information and application forms related to toll discount and exemption eligibility.
In response to the 40% lower toll price, previous reports indicated that the Governor believes “the MTA could bond the rest and make up the shortfalls.” It is anticipated that the program could launch as early as the new year – updated press notes Gov. Hochul is aiming for midnight on January 5, 2025, however the new pricing structure must pass a vote by the MTA board, which has its next scheduled meeting on Monday, November 18. “It also has to go through a federal review process, and the scanners need to be tested before a start date can be set.” Without the program moving forward, future expansions and upgrades could be increasingly delayed due to the priority of more urgent projects just to keep the system running. It is also possible some planned projects that will benefit people living in areas with limited public transportation, such as the Second Avenue Subway extension to 125th Street and the 14-mile Interborough Express (IBX) project could also be imperiled, the latter project adding a new transit light-rail line along an existing freight railway between Brooklyn and Queens, intended to reduce travel time for those that commute to jobs within those boroughs. Other cities that have successfully implemented a congestion pricing concept include Singapore, Milan, Stockholm, and London, which initiated a tolling zone in 2003 that was furiously opposed at first, but over time, the ill feelings dissipated as locals became used to paying the tolls. While London’s program has largely been successful in improving air quality and contributed to a long-term dramatic decline in central London traffic volumes, Alexander Jan, the Chairman of two central London BIDS cautioned back in June that should a toll program in New York move forward, in addition to the environmental benefits, it is crucial to ensure those paying the toll continue to benefit from less congested roadways within the zone. It is also important that locals are able to see that the money generated from the new toll paid by them has been well spent and continues to elevate New York City’s transit network.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-congestion-pricing-new-start-date/
Source: https://www.crainsnewyork.com/politics/kathy-hochul-may-drag-congestion-pricing-across-finish-line