NYC's congestion pricing plan: What you need to know
NEW YORK CITY - Supporters of congestion pricing held a rally in City Hall Park on Thursday ahead of a fact-finding hearing from the city council's Transportation and Infrastructure committee.
Advocates said, "It will deliver faster buses, cleaner air, safer streets and better transit options for New Yorkers."
MTA officials answered questions on how the plan to charge drivers who enter Manhattan south of 60th Street will be implemented.
Tolling structures are in place on the city's west and now east sides.
The MTA said there will be at least 20 spots in Manhattan to track drivers.
MTA fare hikes in effect on tunnels, bridges. How much will tolls increase?
The existing toll discount program for the Rockaways Broad Channel and Staten Island residents using the Verrazano Bridge will remain in effect.
Council member Farrah Louis wanted specifics on how that tracking would work. Dr. Allison L.C. de Cerreno, chief operations officer of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, explained:
"The first time the vehicle is seen, it would be identified. If it stays on the excluded roadways, it would not receive a charge. If, however, it gets to that first spot, and it should be 10, 12 minutes, and we haven't seen that vehicle at that point, there would be a toll."
The toll amount has yet to be determined but is believed to be between $9 to $23. Council members were also asking about exemptions.
For-hire vehicle drivers also wanted to know, as they said, they're paying a tax similar to one congestion pricing already.
One independent driver told FOX 5 New York that, "the drivers are already suffering with lower business from the current tax. They're talking about hitting them again with the second tax. No other group is being hit twice with these taxes."
Selvena Brooks-Powers, chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, added, "We also have to think about all of the people such as the elderly and disabled communities coming from outer boroughs that don't have consistent, affordable modes of public transportation."