New York City Congestion Pricing: Impact on New Jersey Drivers
New York City plans to begin charging drivers who enter Manhattan’s 60th Street and below in 2024.
What lessons did Rockland County Executive Ed Day learn from the recently unveiled congestion pricing system that would charge drivers $15 to enter Midtown Manhattan? “It’s an insult.”
reaction occurs quickly Draft report obtained by USA Today Network in New Jersey.
Congestion fee: Under draft plan, drivers could have to pay $15 to enter Midtown Manhattan
Drivers heading below 60th Street in Midtown would be charged a $15 toll, according to a November draft report from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Transportation Mobility Review Committee.
Previous estimates had the toll in Midtown at about $23, but some Lower Hudson Valley officials remained perplexed.
A big sticking point is the exclusion of toll credits for drivers who use the George Washington Bridge to get to Manhattan.
Only drivers using the Lincoln and Holland Tunnel, Hugh Carey Tunnel, and Queens Midtown Tunnel will receive a $5 credit toward daytime tolls.
Discount discussions have focused on intersections that lead directly into Manhattan, with the Cuomo Bridge intersection in Tappan Zee off the table.
West Hudson’s “values gap”
Day said the fare discount plan is “blatantly exclusionary” to commuters west of the Hudson.
Day said drivers deserve credit for “at least” the tolls crossing the George Washington Bridge.
Day said many Rockland residents don’t have the benefit of the single-seater commuter rail system, which makes getting into the city more convenient by car. That includes most of New York City’s police and fire departments.
Rockland is already experiencing a $40 million “value gap” with the MTA. This means the amount of local taxes and other revenue funneled into the MTA’s coffers is higher than the value of MTA services provided within the county.
And there are no plans to change that, given the expected windfall benefits from the Midtown toll, Day said.
Opposition in the New Jersey State Legislature
Day isn’t the only western Hudson official blasting the project. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy criticized the process as opaque, poorly conceived and unfair.
U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R), whose district includes all of Rockland and Putnam counties, as well as parts of Westchester County and Dutchess, opposes congestion pricing and criticized the draft plan. are doing.
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Lawler and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers have introduced a bill called the Congestion Tax Act. He also co-chairs the House Congestion Tax Caucus. “I will continue to work with my colleagues to stop congestion pricing from stalling,” he said.
Like Lawler, Republican state Sen. Bill Weber, who represents much of Rockland, likened congestion fees to a new tax for suburbanites.
see some positives
Joan MacDonald, Westchester’s operations director, viewed the $15 toll as a positive. Previous iterations had floated tolls of up to $23.
He also praised the decision to limit charges to once a day, regardless of the number of trips.
McDonald disputed the idea that Westchester leadership supports congestion pricing. Rather, she said, they were realistic about the need.
“We know the MTA has holes in its capital budget to fill,” said McDonald, who served as the state’s transportation secretary during the Andrew Cuomo administration. “We also know that congestion has significant negative health effects and economic impacts on the city.”
McDonald said many Westchester residents “have good transportation options” with three Metro-North lines and Beeline bus service that connects directly to the New York City subway’s 242nd Street Station.
Gov. Kathy Hochul supports some level of congestion pricing.
next step
Next steps: Consideration by the MTA Board of Directors at its Dec. 6 meeting.
A series of virtual and in-person hearings will then be held with a 60-day comment period.
After considering public comments, the MTA Board will vote on whether to adopt the fee structure.
Midtown’s congestion pricing plan is scheduled to launch in 2024.
“There is still a lot of time in the process,” said Lisa Dagrian, executive director of the MTA Standing Citizen Advisory Committee.
As for concerns west of the Hudson, Darian said, “That’s a conversation that needs to continue.”
contents of report
Other details of the draft report include:
- Motorcycle tolls are $7.50.
- Depending on the size of the truck, a toll of $24 or $36 will be charged in the congested zone.
- Rental cars and taxis will cost customers $2.50 and $1.25 per trip, respectively.
- Eligible low-income car owners will receive a 50% discount on their daytime car rates after the first 10 trips they take in their car in a calendar month.
- Vehicles are only charged when entering the zone, not when leaving the zone.
- Cars, motorcycles, and vehicles with commercial license plates are only charged once per day.
- Night rates (9pm to 5am) will be reduced by 75%.
- Toll collection will use a cashless toll system with an overhead gantry that reads E-ZPass transponders.
- Vehicles carrying people with disabilities, certain emergency vehicles, buses and commuter vehicles are exempt from tolls.
- The toll zone does not include the freeways at the edge of Manhattan.