The New York Trucking Association Litigation The New York City Transportation Authority filed a lawsuit against the agency on Thursday over its plan to impose congestion fees on Manhattan commuters. TANY argues that the Met’s pricing system “unfairly targets” truck drivers.
“The lawsuit filed this morning in the Southern District of New York alleges that congestion pricing policies unfairly target trucking and logistics companies, who are charged much higher rates than passenger vehicles,” TANY said in a post on X Friday.
“TANY is asserting supply chain industry exemptions.”
The association noted that while it is “not fundamentally opposed to congestion pricing,” it is “fighting to overturn the current version of the plan.”
Named as defendants in the suit are the MTA, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority and New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
“Several vehicle types are entirely exempt from the toll program. Most notably, New York City taxis and for-hire vehicles (e.g., Uber and Lyft) do not have to pay any entrance fees, even though they account for more than half of all vehicle traffic in the zone,” the complaint read.
“The only vehicle types that do not have a full or partial exemption are commercial trucks and vans,” the department continued, noting that these vehicles account for just 4 percent of all traffic in congestion charge zones.
“Further compounding the inequity of this toll structure is that TANY trucks are unable to utilize subways or buses to complete necessary deliveries and have no choice but to enter and exit the zone multiple times a day to meet customer needs,” the lawsuit states.
The association also noted that it would not benefit from the $1 billion in annual revenue that tolls could bring in, because the money would go to the city’s subways, buses and rail lines.
TANY called for the implementation of congestion pricing to be halted.
Depending on the size of the truck, $24 or $36 If you drive below 60th Street, the fee is $15 for most passenger vehicles and $7.50 for motorcycles.
City officials predict the congestion pricing plan will reduce traffic in the area by 17 percent.
“TANY has advocated for the exclusion of supply chain industries from the tolling program, for parity in toll rates between trucks and passenger cars, or at least for a once-daily fee to be imposed on trucks entering the central business district equal to that imposed on passenger cars, or a combination of these alternatives,” the association’s complaint reads.
The congestion charge is set to go into effect June 30. The city is currently facing several lawsuits over the plan.
The MTA declined a request for comment. Fox Business.
Do you like Blaze News? Bypass censorship and subscribe to our newsletter to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up here!
