There shall be exemptions to congestion pricing for emergency automobiles, automobiles carrying disabled New Yorkers and drivers who stay contained in the Manhattan congestion zone and make lower than $60,000 per yr.
Christopher Sadowski
The legislator who oversees the MTA’s committee is warning the authority to not enable any extra exemptions to Manhattan’s deliberate congestion tolls — or else danger shedding potential income wanted for the transit system.
State Sen. Leroy Comrie stated throughout a listening to on Wednesday that proposed exemptions for metropolis residents, authorities staff or suburban drivers “upset the whole level of congestion pricing.”
“I don’t suppose there must be any exemptions, and I’m going to proceed to say that there must be no exemptions,” Comrie stated, after senators from north of New York Metropolis known as for reductions for his or her constituents when the MTA launches tolls in Manhattan beneath sixtieth Avenue.
State legislators handed the congestion toll plan in 2019 with three baked-in exemptions — for emergency automobiles, for automobiles carrying disabled New Yorkers and for drivers who stay contained in the Manhattan congestion zone and make lower than $60,000 per yr.
However the Site visitors Mobility Evaluation Board that can finally set toll charges has the authority to confer extra exemptions — and everybody from the Police Benevolent Affiliation and taxi drivers to bike and electrical automobile house owners have stated they need one.
MTA leaders have beforehand warned that focused exemptions will lead to greater tolls for everybody else, as a result of state regulation requires them to boost a particular amount of cash.
Comrie stated New York must shut the dialog down earlier than it will get out of hand.
“When you open up that may of worms, you create main issues, as a result of everyone desires to be exempted for one thing,” he stated. “We’re gonna have actual issues gathering any income from congestion pricing … Opening up exemptions for anyone class on create issues, and actually upsets the whole level of congestion pricing.”
The feedback got here on the affirmation listening to of Performing MTA Chairman Janno Lieber.
Initially set to launch at the beginning of 2021, congestion pricing is now unlikely to start till someday within the first 9 months of 2023, Lieber instructed senators.
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