New Yorkers Weigh in on Congestion Pricing

New Yorkers got their first opportunity to comment on the city’s proposed congestion pricing plan in the first of six public hearings on the issue. As Catalina Gonella and Phil Corso write in Gothamist, “The plan, which would toll drivers in Manhattan south of 60th Street as much as $23 during rush hour, was designed to lessen traffic congestion by as much as 20%, according to an MTA analysis.”

Close to 400 people signed up to speak at the meeting, which ran late into the night last Thursday. Some expressed concern about the cost to residents in communities that lack subway stations or round-the-clock bus service, such as senior citizens who travel to Manhattan for medical appointments. Others showed support for the plan, hoping it will help improve transit and reduce pollution and traffic deaths.

According to the article, “The affected toll zone, dubbed the ‘Central Business District,’ draws roughly 7.67 million people on the average weekday, according to an MTA study. The capital plan was last pegged at $56 million with about 30% of that being covered by the congestion pricing proposal, the MTA said.”

The program, which was originally scheduled to start collecting revenue in 2021, was delayed repeatedly, including earlier this year when the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) asked the city to answer hundreds of additional questions regarding its environmental impact assessment.