New Yorkers will finally have a chance to speak out about the Empire State’s controversial plan to start charging drivers a $15 congestion fee to enter midtown Manhattan — first published Thursday. A public comment hearing is scheduled to begin.
Ahead of the hearing, the Post reported on people affected by the new fees, including an FDNY paramedic who said he was starting to consider taking a new job and a police officer who asked law enforcement for exemptions. We spoke to a New Yorker.
Civil servants like them could be among those who arrive at the venue at 6 p.m., when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority opens the floor to drivers and commuters to consider proposed congestion pricing. is high.
This is the first of four public hearings to be held in the coming weeks at MTA headquarters in lower Manhattan, ahead of the implementation of congestion pricing, which was scheduled for mid-June after years of delays. Become.
The proposal would raise $1 billion a year for system upgrades, transit officials have said, but would include about 400,000 government employees in New York City, including uniformed police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders. It also includes lawsuits from labor unions representing employees.
Several Big Apple residents and essential workers spoke of the impending toll.
FDNY paramedic: “I’m considering another job”‘
Sondra Lugicone loves her life-saving job as an FDNY EMT, but the push to impose a $15 toll on drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street is enough to keep her from considering a new career. He said enough is enough.
“I’m seriously considering getting another job,” said the mother of two.
Luzicorn, who commutes daily from Staten Island to the FDNY Ambulance Station in Chelsea, said some drivers, especially emergency workers like her, need toll exemptions.
“We need a discount on congestion charges,” Lugicone said of EMS workers. “Something has to give. We’re not making much money as it is.”
Under the congestion pricing plan, cars will be charged a $15 toll once a day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. During off-peak hours, the charge will be $3.75.
Lugicone’s daily commute is among the peaks, considering he typically covers shifts from 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in his $50,000-a-year job.
“I’m surprised that everyone has to pay the toll. It’s a lot of money,” she said.
A fee structure has not yet been set, but the paramedic said many of his fellow paramedics, fearful of it, have requested transfers so they don’t have to pay the fee.
“It’s going to affect everyone at the station. People are transferring like crazy,” Lugicone said.
“You’re trying to do good for the community,” she added. “Call 911 and I’ll come over.”
Ann new york city police officer: “Please exempt me.”
NYPD Officer Lerone Davis also believes toll waivers are necessary given how inflexible law enforcement shift patterns are.
“As law enforcement, we are expected to show up in court come rain, shine, or hail. People are expected to do things that are not expected of them at all. [job],” He said.
“I think there’s a chance we’ll get an exemption.”
A 16-year veteran of the NYPD said it’s unreasonable for officers to rely solely on public transportation for their daily commute because they don’t know what’s going to happen each day.
Typically, Davis commutes from East Flatbush to Midtown for the day shift from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. He then returns to his scheduled night shift from 11pm to 7am.
“As a police officer, there are a lot of contradictions and that changes your tour. Otherwise something happens and you have to stay there,” he said.
“I have an incident in the afternoon, and after working 15 to 17 hours, I have to catch the 1-2 a.m. train,” Davis continued. “I had issues with leaving at 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. and not getting home until 3 a.m. During that time, I was at work at 7 a.m.”
He said it takes about 30 minutes to get to the station via the Midtown tunnel, but it can take up to an hour by subway.
“I’m just trying to get used to taking the train more often,” he said, adding that the proposed fare “would be a big hit to my finances.”
The veteran police officer told MTA CEO Jano Lieber that if he had a chance to confront him head-on, he would have a few choice words to say about the impending victims.
“Try walking in our shoes for a week and just see the conflicts with our schedules and the different things we have to do to make a living…and the stress and extra money out of our pockets. “It will be added,” said David, who he would tell the transportation director.
“It’s almost a punishment for wanting to go to work and do the right thing.”
Staten Island Teacher: The ferry will be crowded.
Troy McGee, a veteran Staten Island teacher, worries that tolls will cripple the borough’s infrastructure.
“Anyone trying to get into Lower Manhattan from New Jersey or elsewhere is going to come to Staten Island to take the free ferry,” warned McGee, the special education dean at Curtis High School.
“What’s going to happen is these people are going to come and try to get on the ferry. And they’re going to park – meaning parking spaces for residents, for people who come to work in this area. They will be driven out.”
A potential surge in vehicle traffic from people trying to catch the free ferries will only cause further pollution, Mr McGee argued, and part of the aim of the congestion plan is to reduce this.
“There’s going to be more traffic on Staten Island, and our infrastructure won’t be able to handle it,” he said. “It will cause even more pollution.”
“Considering the environment, I don’t think this is the best thing for Staten Island’s North Shore. I think it needs to be reevaluated.”
“I would like to see a detailed study, an impact study to see what this will mean for us on the North Shore of Staten Island,” he added.
An environmental study already conducted by the MTA as part of the planning process estimates that congestion pricing could increase traffic on Staten Island by 2 to 3 percent.
strap hanger Approve potential subway improvements
One of the main arguments for the MTA’s toll push is that it would raise $1 billion a year, which would be used to fund a $15 billion bond that would pay for major upgrades to the subway, commuter rail, and bus systems. .
As part of the improvements, transportation officials want to use $2.3 billion in congestion fees to buy hundreds of new vehicles.
Several straphangers stressed that they wanted the cash raised from congestion tolls to go toward preventing delays, not just fancy new vehicles.
“I don’t think the shiny new trains will make that much of a difference,” one commuter, identified only as Brooks, told the Post.
“If it means people take more trains, reduces delays and makes it safer, then I think it’s OK.”
This comes after the MTA recently introduced new European-style trains on the C line with an “open gangway” style design.
Mr. Brooks, a project manager who regularly rides the train from Washington Heights to Columbus Circle, acknowledged that the new C Line cars “look nice” with digital screens and lights, but added, “If you live here, you don’t want to I don’t really need anything.” excessively. It has no real impact. ”
Meanwhile, other passengers were excited about potential improvements to congestion charges on the subway.
“I think that’s a good thing. I mean, we need more modern trains,” said Grace Tavares, 27, who rides the A train every day.
“I think it’s perfect. I think it’s the right thing to do,” added Yamy Arias, 41, who regularly takes the subway from Brooklyn’s Ozone Park to Manhattan.
