Achi news desk-
Last Updated: March 29, 2024, 07:43 IST
New York, United States of America (USA)
Commuters wait to drive through the Holland Tunnel into New York City during morning rush hour traffic in Jersey City, N.J., Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (AP)
New York approves $15 congestion charge for Manhattan. The plan aims to reduce traffic, improve public transport, and raise money for subway upgrades
New York is on track to become the first US city with congestion tolls on drivers entering its central business district after transit officials approved a $15 fee for most motorists who’ n go to the busiest part of Manhattan.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority board members voted Wednesday to give the green light to the congestion pricing plan, which is expected to take effect in June. The board approved only minor changes to a plan presented to the public months ago, and removed requests for exemptions from dozens of commuter groups.
The vote authorizes a $15 toll on most commuter passenger vehicles driving into Manhattan south of 60th Street, a zone south of Central Park, during daytime hours. Tolls are higher for larger vehicles, and lower for late night entry into the city, as well as for motorbikes.
Supporters of the new tolls say it will push more people to use public transport, reduce congestion to speed up public buses and emergency vehicles, reduce pollution, and raise money needed to improve the subway system. Opponents say the fees are a burden on workers and will increase the prices of staple goods trucked into the city.
To get into Manhattan, commuters from other states and municipalities already pay about $15 in bridge and tunnel tolls — and the congestion fee will come on top of that. Daily parking costs already run between $25 and $50 in the congestion zone, which includes a dozen Manhattan neighborhoods south of 60th street.
The New York plan has drawn lawsuits from small business owners and the state of New Jersey demanding more thorough environmental assessments before the plan moves forward. In court documents, state officials argue that the plan will cost its commuters millions but will not fund improvements to New Jersey’s transit agencies, even as it funds public transit in New York and Connecticut.
The state Legislature approved the tolls in 2019, mandating that the program should raise $1 billion a year to fund subway and public bus systems for the city’s 4 million daily riders. It also established the boundaries of the zone, which covers the busiest part of the city, and shortened early proposals to include the area up to 86th Street. The pandemic and lack of federal regulation halted the project.
Tolls will vary based on the time of day and the size of the vehicle, ranging from $1.75 for motorcycles crossing overnight to $36 for scenic buses and trucks with trailers during the day. The overnight period runs from 9 pm to 5 am during the week, and from 9 pm to 9 am at weekends. Visitors without E-ZPasses – a device that collects toll information remotely – will pay more. And like on bridges, license plate readers are expected to identify other drivers, so they can be billed by post.
Taxis will charge passengers $1.25 for each trip that touches the zone, while app-based rides will charge $2.50. The vote on Wednesday followed two months of public comment in which over 100 categories of drivers asked to be exempted from the tolls. They ranged from small groups such as holders of diplomatic license plates to large groups such as residents of the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut.
But the $1 billion in toll revenue mandated by state law meant that eliminating tolls for one group would raise the price for everyone else, so most requests for exemptions were not granted. Some exceptions survived, including a free pass for emergency vehicles, specialized city vehicles, and buses with regular public routes or city school contracts. Vehicles carrying disabled people and some low-income commuters are also ticketed. Low income drivers are eligible for discounts and tax credits.
If the plan survives those legal challenges, New York will become the first US city to implement a congestion pricing plan. Such schemes have been implemented in London, Stockholm, Milan and Singapore. In 2017, Virginia officials implemented a toll system to reduce rush hour congestion on Interstate 66 near Washington, D.C.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
