Congestion pricing NYC public hearing

NEW YORK - Congestion pricing is not expected to arrive in Manhattan until 2023, but people already have plenty to say about it.

Tuesday night at a virtual meeting, people who commute from the northern suburbs got their chance to weigh in on the plan that would levy a toll on vehicles entering the Central Business District below 60th Street. Those who live in Rockland County argue they don’t have a one-seat train option to get into the city and, therefore, will get unfairly punished for driving.

Proponents argue the toll would discourage unnecessary car trips and would provide the MTA with a consistent revenue stream.

The state legislature approved congestion pricing in 2019. The MTA is in the middle of a 16-month review process, which includes 10 public meetings focusing on the areas that would be affected by congestion pricing.

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 The agency has said it expects that E-ZPass users would be charged between $9 and $23 once daily to enter Manhattan. There would be exemptions for emergency vehicles and those ferrying people with disabilities. Also, cars that remain on the FDR Drive and West Side Highway and don’t exit onto local streets won’t have to pay.

The MTA will hold another public meeting tonight at which people can voice their opinions.