Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday (14) the resurrection of New York City’s congestion toll program.
Hochul, who abruptly canceled the plan this summer just weeks before its launch, said she would implement it by reducing the toll amount, as she sought primarily to appease critics who claimed the fees were too high.
However, the toll, which would be the first of its kind in the country, could still be suspended. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to end the charge as soon as he takes office in January. Unions from New Jersey and other opponents have vowed to take legal action against the program.
For now, the toll will charge most drivers $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours, a reduction from the previously approved fee of $15. The new program is scheduled to start in early January, around January 5.
In a press conference, the governor reiterated her argument that she had halted the original version of the plan because the fees would be a financial burden on New Yorkers.
“I have always fought and will always fight to put more money in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers,” Hochul said. “That’s why, in June, I stood up for working families.”
The congestion toll aims to reduce the number of cars on Manhattan’s crowded streets and improve air quality while raising funds to be invested in the city’s public transportation. But passenger groups from across the New York metropolitan area have complained that the tolls would amount to an extra tax.
The reduced fee will save passengers nearly $1,500 annually, Hochul said, while still meeting the budgetary needs of the M.T.A.
The revenue from the tolls was projected to be about $1 billion annually, which in turn would allow the M.T.A. to secure $15 billion in funding through bonds.
On Thursday, transit officials said the revised plan would still allow the M.T.A. to meet its funding goal, even if the annual toll revenues initially fell below $1 billion.
The $9 toll was expected to remain in effect for at least three years, officials said, before possibly being increased. The revised plan is expected to go to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board next week for final approval.
Source: The New York Times