Based on recommendations from the MTA’s Congestion Pricing Advisory Committee, most drivers will pay $15 to drive below 60th Street in Manhattan, sources said Thursday.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday morning at the MTA’s Manhattan headquarters to announce the recommendations of the Transportation Mobility Review Board. The MTA Board must decide whether to move forward with the committee’s recommendations, which serve as an advisory body.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity. The commission said after meeting several times and hearing input from the public, it decided to increase the toll to $15 for most cars using E-ZPass.
Under the plan, only commuter buses and government vehicles will be exempted. Nightly fares will be discounted by his 75%, and drivers who meet low-income guidelines will have their payments reduced by his 50% after his first 10 trips.
Taxis will pay an additional $1.25 per trip to drive in the central business district, and “rental cars” such as Uber and Lyft will pay $2.50.
Congestion pricing, which has been debated for decades, is intended to ease traffic in downtown Manhattan while reducing pollution and car crashes and generating $1 billion a year in toll revenue for infrastructure investment for the MTA.
MTA officials have said they hope to have the plan in place by spring, but acknowledged that two federal lawsuits by New Jersey officials challenging the plan’s legality could delay the plan.
Bhairavi Desai, founder and executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, which represents 21,000 drivers, said yellow cabs “face an existential crisis with the loss of more rides, and drivers collectively I pay taxes from my income,” he texted.
Desai said drivers could pass on the fare to passengers, but that would lead to fewer rides.
In a statement, Congestion Pricing Now, a coalition of transportation and environmental groups, called on the board to adopt the recommendations, saying they would lead to “improved transportation, reduced traffic, and cleaner air.”
Check back for updates on this developing story.