Community Board 3 has added a special meeting this month to address Gov. Hochul's decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing.
Here's more via an email from CB3 Chair Andrea Gordillo:
Community Boards 1-6 have discussed signing on to a letter to all parties involved with the MTA's Congestion Pricing Plan, asking to reverse course on the Governor's decision. Given the unprecedented nature of the abrupt policy shift, its potential cost to the MTA, and public trust in government, Community Board 3 will convene this special meeting after the public session of its June Full Board meeting to discuss and vote on the contents of the letter which would ask the Governor to proceed with congestion pricing.We encourage members of the public to attend the meeting and sign up to give public comment, and we ask for your support in reaching out to our communities to inform them of the opportunity to comment on this important decision.
The full CB3 meeting is TONIGHT — Tuesday, June 25, at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St., between Houston and Stanton.
The first four public speakers for and against the subject matter are allowed to speak. They may arrive at 6 p.m. Otherwise, members of the public are welcome to email comments to mn03@cb.nyc.gov. The Board meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube here.
In pausing the plan, Hochul expressed concerns about the timing and state of the city's post-pandemic recovery.
Under the congestion-pricing plan, most people driving passenger vehicles into Manhattan below 60th Street would need to pay a minimum of $15, with larger vehicles incurring higher charges.
The MTA has already spent tens of millions of dollars to install cameras, sensors, license plate readers, and other equipment on city roadways in preparation for the plan's launch. The anticipated fee was projected to generate around $1 billion annually, benefiting subway and bus systems that serve approximately 4 million daily riders.
The move also represents a dramatic reversal for public transit advocates, who had supported congestion pricing to raise money for NYC's struggling subway and commuter rail systems and reduce traffic on city streets.
Here's an idea,
ReplyDelete(MTA has already spent tens of millions of dollars to install cameras, sensors, license plate readers, and other equipment on city roadways in preparation for the plan's launch)
Use those cameras for people speeding, I would include E-Bikes in that group as well. Those fines and go to the MTA.
I am so angry about this "pause" and have been sending my comments to every official even remotely connected to this issue.
ReplyDeleteI am currently working on a large and important-for-the-region-not-just-NYC infrastructure project. So much of my day is spent thinking about, planning for and managing the traffic which we have to keep moving. I and many others on our 2ce weekly logistics calls have been looking forward to the congestion tolling start date as it was expected it would be changing the street traffic volume.
Media has already teased it, but it's going to happen, but it's going to be a different tolling structure than what had been proposed. The NYT reported that the $15 fee, which seems to be practically punitive, was only based on the MTA's revenue expectations. A more measured pricing structure will likely be released and my guess is it will be in $7-$8 range.
ReplyDeleteCongestion pricing will be instituted after the November elections.
ReplyDeleteFirst stop fare beaters and the yearly loss of $500 million before taxing anyone else.
ReplyDeleteExactly 12:40p. There's an infrastructure project for ya. And I agree, it will come back at a half the original cost which I think is reasonable.
ReplyDelete"looking forward to the congestion tolling start date as it was expected it would be changing the street traffic volume." Really? People which need to drive into the city will continue to drive in. I would be in favor of speeding fines as someone is actually doing something wrong and dangerous. Make E-bikes register, get tags, this alone would save lives and provide income. Just so you know, I do not have a car nor have I ever had a license. All this does is keep the tech companies in charge of our streets and profiting from our infrastructure.
ReplyDelete@11:14am: I am as furious as you are, BUT in the OTHER DIRECTION: How DARE they institute this without every New York City voter being allowed to vote on it?!
ReplyDeleteThis is taxation without representation. And if they want to do it, then make all 5 boroughs a congestion area, b/c what is proposed will only push congestion to another part of the city.
Worse, the money from these illegal tolls will go into that bottomless pit known as the MTA. The MTA has proven itself incompetent for decades, and there's no reason to think it's going to start being fiscally responsible now.
ANY money given to the MTA, without the MTA significantly changing its ways, is just money down a rat hole. They can't get a handle on fare-beating, which is known to cost an astonishing amount of money year in and year out, and is a basic part of their operations.
The MTA does not care, as long as they can pay their executives (who travel by CAR) a ton of money, and as long as they can support the featherbedding that is going on at most of their work projects.
I regularly walk past the site of a street-elevator-to-mezzanine installation that's been going on for TWO YEARS but is STILL nowhere near completion. They may have 10 guys on the job, and I see two or three of them actually doing anything. Meanwhile, the project is blocking access to multiple small businesses at that location - but again, the MTA doesn't care.
When you can get the MTA to be an honest and accountable organization, THEN talk to me about congestion pricing -- but that date will be the twelfth of NEVER.
@11:14am: You want to change "street volumes"? Some really evident things to do that would accomplish that: Get rid of bike lanes, dining sheds, tourist-seating in multiple locations on Broadway, and stop letting 100,000 Ubers and Lyfts dominate the streets.
ReplyDeleteAlso, apply some common sense and *acknowledge* that Manhattan is an ISLAND and therefore everything that gets delivered here (whether it's Amazon packages or supplies for hospitals and restaurants) comes in on a VEHICLE, and there is no way around that unless you can suspend the laws of physics.
I am sick of the city & state complaining about street congestion when the city and the state are the entities that CREATED that congestion, and did it quite deliberately. There is essential dishonesty AND tons of stupidity underlying this whole mess.
Boats or ferries like before cars? Then limit the trucks that take from the water to businesses. It’s just sad how we spent so much on the project and libraries are losing so much. Libraries are more important than most of the things money being spent on in the budget.
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