Five months after pausing Manhattan’s congestion tolls, Gov. Kathy Hochul is bringing back congestion pricing, but cheaper.
Starting Jan. 5 commuters will begin paying a nine dollar daytime or $2.25 nighttime toll, from 60th street, and below.
The MTA estimates that the tolls will eliminate an average of 100,000 vehicles commuting into the city daily, with the goal of decreasing air pollution and congestion in the city. “New Yorkers deserve cleaner air, safer streets and ambulances that can get them without gridlock, and the Governor is stepping up for them and for riders who need trains and buses to get them where they need to go,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
The money earned from the congestion pricing will go toward improving bus and train services.
It will also go toward improving the frequency of transit and creating more accessible stations throughout the city.
Currently, 23% of NYC subway stations are accessible.
Chris Gallon, Philadelphia-born and current Brooklyn resident said “It [subway stations] should be accessible for anyone.” Gallon and his friend Erin Moran, both frequent users of the MTA transit system, believe that congestion prices will benefit air pollution and the MTA.
“I’m pro-trains,” Gallon said.
Yet not all New Yorkers can agree on congestion pricing benefiting the city. Currently, nine lawsuits are pending against congestion pricing.
Many say that it would cause worse air pollution in surrounding boroughs.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew told ABC 7, that it will “make air quality worse for the South Bronx and the other three boroughs. That’s what it is, it’s a scheme.”
While air quality can decrease in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, many fear that the Bronx and Staten Island will face rami-fications.
“I strongly disagree with the decision on the congestion tax,” President-elect Donald Trump, a born and raised Queens resident, said.
The FDR Drive and West Side Highway both bypass the congestion zone, so more drivers may reroute their drive up to the Bronx, leaving their cars before the starting point, on 60th street.
However, not everyone will have to pay the daily nine dollar toll when entering the city.
Low-income drivers, emergency vehicles and vehicles carrying people with disabilities can qualify to be exempted or discounted from paying the tolls.
Still, not all qualify and about 150,000 people will be affected by the surcharge.
“New York has a really good train system,” Moran added, defending the congestion pricing, “You shouldn’t need a car in the city.”
Yet almost every year the MTA loses about $700 million due to fare evasion, even with the in- creased cost of the subway fare.
Additionally, many believe that the $15 billion project will not help the MTA get out of the deep end.
Transit is not the only industry affected by this. Uber drivers and Uber users will also feel the change, as there will be an automatic surcharge of $1.50 within the bounds of the congestion zone area.
“Ya’ll are Ubering so that means you guys have disposable income,” Gallon said, defending the extra $1.50 that Uber users will spend.
While some believe the congestion pricing plan still has a long way to go, Hochul continues to face pressure from Congress as Republicans weigh in new ways to terminate the toll.
