NEW YORK (PIX11) – The MTA’s Traffic Mobility Review Board reviewed the plan for congestion pricing on Monday in an attempt to figure out what the tolls, credits and discounts will be when it goes into effect.
The board has yet to decide on a base toll for drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. The proposals laid out by the board had things in common, including charging trucks for the congestion they cause, exempting commuter buses and special government vehicles, and increasing the discount for frequent low-income drivers.
The proposals included possibilities like drivers who pay a toll for the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh Carey and Queens–Midtown tunnels getting a discount on the congestion toll, alloweing taxi or for-hire vehicle tolls to be passed on to the customer and extending the nighttime period.
“The goal is not to choose a scenario, but to mix and match scenarios for a final toll structure,” said Juliette Michaelson, a special advisor to the Traffic Mobility Review Board.
The scenarios differ on what will be considered nighttime, but all have a discount between 25%- 75% for those hours.
The crossing credits range from $4-$7, with a discount possible at night in one scenario and the toll for taxis ranges from $1 to $150. The toll for app-based for-hire vehicles is between $150 and $200, with some additional fees or discounts possible at night.
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance is calling on the board to exempt yellow taxis from congestion pricing.
A spokesperson for Lyft issues the following statement:
“As the Traffic Mobility Review Board works to determine the fee structure, we want to ensure they are hearing from riders and drivers on the impact the fee will have on them. We support comprehensive congestion pricing, but rideshare and taxis already have been paying a congestion fee since 2019 that has generated more than $1 billion in revenue to the MTA. It’s important that the TMRB takes this into account and doesn’t unfairly penalize rideshare users with a double assessment.”
Lyft
