“It can’t happen soon enough.” For Whom the Bill Tolls “Millions of riders are counting on a rapid, robust congestion pricing program that delivers essential reliability and accessibility upgrades,” said Danny Pearlstein, policy director for Riders Alliance, an advocacy group. Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature, the rollout of so-called congestion pricing has been repeatedly hampered by federal bureaucracy, including hundreds of highly detailed questions from the feds that pushed back the projected launch date. But it acknowledged that tolls could increase the number of drivers diverting onto roads in the South Bronx and on Staten Island. The shift would change truck traffic in Manhattan, in particular the report estimates truck trips through the central district would drop between 55% and 81% as drivers opt for less expensive routes. The document also outlined what the program may cost drivers entering the toll zone: between $5 and $23 per trip, depending on the time of day and the type of vehicle. Today officials released the long-delayed “environmental assessment” of the proposed Central Business District Tolling Program - touting how it could potentially cut congestion coming into the core of Manhattan by nearly 20%, improve air quality, boost bus service reliability and increase mass transit usage. New York’s system would be the first time tolls would be used in the United States to reduce traffic-related emissions. Some MTA proposals have included caps on tolls for taxis and other for-hire vehicles.John Penney/Shutterstock How Will Congestion Pricing Work? Taxi and car service drivers have also objected, saying it would make fares unaffordable. The plan has been sharply opposed by officials in New Jersey, where people bound for Manhattan by car could see costs of commuting skyrocket. The state Legislature approved a conceptual plan for congestion pricing back in 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic combined with a lack of guidance from federal regulators stalled the project. The new tolls are expected to generate another $1 billion yearly, which would be used to finance borrowing to upgrade the subway, bus and commuter rail systems operated by the MTA. The special tolls for the southern half of Manhattan would come on top of those existing charges. People headed into Manhattan already pay big tolls to use many of the bridges and tunnels connecting across the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers. It's going to benefit our essential workers." It's a win for equity because it will benefit the lowest income communities of color. It would improve public health and combat climate change. "Less congestion, less pollution, fewer greenhouse gas emissions. "Congestion pricing would lead to as much a 20% reduction in the number of vehicles entering the Center Business District," Torres said. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15) said there are many benefits to congestion pricing. "We have a path away from conditions that really threaten our viability," Lieber said. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said at the joint press conference with Hochul that congestion pricing will mean "less traffic, better transit, cleaner air and safer streets," saying it was a cause for celebration. NYC's Summer Streets 2023 starts Saturday in Queens and Staten Island: What to know Hochul said the state and MTA will "get this right" by taking their time and putting the message out to educate people on congestion pricing. What about the wildfires that are happening on our own streets right here coming out of the exhaust pipes of all these vehicles?" It's also creating all this exhaust and emissions that people are breathing.We're more cognizant of what is going into our lungs these days as we are experiencing the effects of the wildfires in Canada. But all this concentrated activity, the vehicles sitting there idling because they cannot move. Think about the is dangerous for them," Hochul said during a press conference related to the matter Tuesday. “With the green light from the federal government, we look forward to moving ahead with the implementation of this program,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement following the federal announcement. Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox.
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