The Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted Wednesday to support New York State Gov. Kathy Hockle’s (D) plan to indefinitely suspend congestion pricing in Manhattan. New York Post report.
Earlier this month, Horckle slammed on the brakes. He argued that the MTA’s congestion pricing plan would place an “undue burden” on already stressed New Yorkers.
“That would be fundamentally unfair to suburban boroughs.”
If implemented, most cars would be charged $15 for travelling below 60th Street, motorcycles $7.50, small trucks and charter buses $24, and large trucks and tour buses $36. The cameras are already in place, and the city will use the state’s existing E-ZPass system to collect most tolls. Anyone without a pass would have to pay a higher toll to get to work.
The congestion pricing plan and the MTA’s pricing structure face several legal challenges.
As previously reported by The Blaze News, the state of New Jersey filed suit in April, alleging the financial burden the plan would impose on residents. The complaint alleges that the city “failed to adequately consider the environmental impacts” and “disregarded the significant financial burden that the plan would impose on New Jerseyans and the New Jersey transportation system.”
The New York Trucking Associations also filed a lawsuit, arguing that the MTA’s pricing system “unfairly targets” truck drivers and logistics companies, subjecting them to higher fines than passenger drivers.
As the backlash continued, Governor Hookle announced he was pausing the implementation of congestion pricing, which was scheduled for June 30.
“Let’s be realistic: A $15 fee may not seem like a lot to those who can afford it, but it can put a strain on the finances of working- and middle-class families,” she said. “It’s squeezing the very people who make this city go.”
On Wednesday, the MTA’s board voted 10-1 to suspend toll fees, despite the fact that it would essentially cut the agency’s budget by $16.5 billion, money that would have been used to improve public transportation.
More than 100 New Yorkers attended a recent board meeting, and most voiced their support for the tolls, some holding signs that read, “Governor, Stop Blocking Good Laws,” “Congestion Pricing = Shorter Commutes,” and “Fix the Subway!”
“We’re ready to get Humpty Dumpty back on track as soon as possible,” MTA CEO Jano Lieber said.
“Keeping congestion pricing up and running will allow us to respond when the moratorium actually is lifted,” he added.
Councilman Michael Tanousis (R-Ill.) said he opposes the tolling.
“I am strongly opposed to congestion pricing because I believe, and the evidence proves, that it is fundamentally unfair to the outer boroughs, particularly Staten Island and Bay Ridge,” Tannoussis said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a transit user. I use express buses, I use the subway, but this plan would benefit the few to the detriment of the many.”
In a statement released after the MTA board vote, Haukle promised to find “new revenue streams.”
“While the timing of the next budget may necessitate temporary adjustments to the timeline of certain contracts, New Yorkers should not need to worry that planned projects will not be delivered,” she said.
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