The federal government has approved Manhattan congestion fees: what you need to know

The federal government recently approved the country's first congestion fee program. And this applies to the entrance fee to Manhattan. Edition North jersey talked about what we know about the introduction of congestion fees, how it will affect drivers from New Jersey, and what we still have to find out.

What is an entry fee

Under a plan developed by the New York City Transportation Authority (MTA), a new tolling perimeter will be created around the so-called central business district or the area below 60th Street in Manhattan, excluding FDR Drive and West Side Highway.

The idea of ​​charging dates back to at least 1976, when it was adopted in Singapore to reduce car traffic and pollution, as well as improve public transport in the busiest region - all this has been achieved. These are the same principles that guided the creators of the toll program in Sweden, London, and now New York.

The program was first approved in 2019 by the New York Legislature, which required the MTA to raise about $15 billion, or $1 billion a year, to support the agency's capital investment plan. About 80% of this money will go to subway and bus projects, 10% will go to the Long Island Rail Road area, and another 10% to Metro-North.

Who is in charge of the program

The MTA's Triborough Bridges and Tunnels Authority (TBTA) will "design, develop, build and manage the Central Business District (CBD) tolling program," according to the MTA. However, the six-member Road Mobility Review Board will recommend to the TBTA board what it thinks road rates should be, which vehicles should be eligible for toll waivers, and whether any credits should enter by virtue of.

On the subject: In New York, a $100 salary feels like $000 due to taxes and the high cost of living.

The Supervisory Board has yet to announce its first meeting, but the MTA has said the "process will be public."

How much will you have to pay

This is one of many questions that will not be answered until the Transport Mobility Supervisory Board begins its work. However, last year the MTA produced a 4000+ page environmental review that examined seven toll scenarios in which tolls ranged from $9 to $23 during peak hours, $7 to $17 off-peak, and $5 to $12 at night. time.

The higher the fee, the more credits and benefits were offered in these scenarios.

Will New Jersey drivers get credit because they're already paying to enter Manhattan

This is also among the issues that the Supervisory Board for Transport Mobility will decide. The law mandates that those who live in the central business district and earn less than $60 will be eligible for a tax credit for paid tolls, and qualifying ambulances and those transporting people with disabilities will be exempt from the fee.

But the review board will have the freedom to determine whether others, including New Jersey drivers, should also receive credits or exemptions. For example, in three of the seven toll scenarios, drivers using the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels will receive a credit for tolls already paid using those tunnels. In one of the scenarios studied, these two tunnels and drivers crossing the Hudson River on the George Washington Bridge would receive credit. None of the scenarios outlined in the report would fully account for drivers using Hudson River crossings to pay tolls before arriving in the CBD.

Kate Slevin, executive vice president of the Regional Planning Association, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that studies transportation, housing, and climate issues in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, said she is optimistic that "you can reach an agreement acceptable to both states."

Another question is whether buses should be freed, whether private or public transport routes. Two of the seven charging scenarios exclude all buses, while the third scenario exempts only transit buses, such as those operated by the MTA and NJ Transit.

When does the fee go into effect?

The MTA's target is reportedly April 2024. However, this is an ambitious schedule, given that there are so many details yet to be worked out, a public engagement process needs to be followed and the MTA will have to build what will likely be equipped with suspended poles with all-electronic cashless tolling technology.

Entry fee - good or bad

It depends on who you are talking about it with.

Slevin says federal approval of the plan is "a huge victory for public transportation, our health and the environment."

“The MTA uses 100% of revenue to invest in the transportation system, which is good for most people who travel from New Jersey to Manhattan for work,” Slevin said, noting that most people also use the city's subways and buses. “For drivers, the fee is designed to manage congestion and improve traffic.”

In addition, creating a fairer toll system should reduce travel time so that drivers can take the shortest and most convenient route instead of the cheapest, Slevin said.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who represents parts of North Jersey and is one of the strongest opponents of the toll, has criticized the plan for not directly benefiting New Jersey's public transit system and for potentially shifting traffic to outlying areas. including Bergen County.

“The tolling will cause more trucks to go into northern New Jersey on the GW bridge and out into the outer areas, to areas outside the toll zone, hurting low-income families,” Gotheimer said.

Does this mean there will be more people on trains, buses and ferries to Manhattan

This is certainly possible - and this is one of the goals of the program. However, according to the MTA's environmental review, growth in public transit usage in New Jersey is projected to be minimal.

The vast majority of people commuting to Manhattan from New Jersey already use public transit; only 3% use cars.

“The actual growth projected for NJ Transit or PATH for either scenario is a maximum of 1 or 2 percentage points,” Slevin said.

Among the concerns expressed are that projects to increase public transit capacity across the Hudson River, such as the new Port Authority bus station and New York's Pennsylvania Station, both of which are congested, are still in their early stages, and before their construction is still far away.

But Slevin said public transport ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels, so this should not be a concern in the near future. In the long term, improving public transport through these and other projects will be critical and will highlight the need for action to reduce congestion.

“In the future, the region will continue to grow. There will be more and more people in our transit network, so we need to keep an eye on this,” Slevin said.

New Jersey governor to challenge decision

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy expressed his outrage at the plan and threatened to look into legal options. But supporters of the plan say there is no reason to panic as details of how the program will work are still being worked out.

The approval New York received from the Federal Highway Administration was for "legal sufficiency".

However, Murphy appears to believe that this can be challenged, and has stated that officials are "carefully evaluating all legal options".

He added that they "will continue to work closely with partners from both states and both sides, including Rep. Gottheimer and a congressional delegation, to stop this misguided charging plan."

A Murphy administration spokesman said legal options include a lawsuit challenging the US Department of Transportation's approval of the program. The Governor has also threatened in the past to veto protocols from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which could effectively halt some activity and construction in the two states that oversee the region's three major airports, a number of tunnels and bridges, and ports.

What are the political implications

Murphy and New York Gov. Kathy Hokul have spent the past nearly two years trying to fight the conflict between the two states, appearing at several events together and supporting each other.

Despite public displays of affection and cooperation, not all problems have been simple, and entry fees are just one example.

New Jersey won a case in the US Supreme Court earlier this year after it was sued by New York City for attempting to leave a bi-state agency that has tracked labor hiring and the influence of organized crime in ports for decades.

The two states and Connecticut were stuck in a months-long stalemate over how to share federal vehicles, which ended up benefiting New York by $850 million.

There are also lengthy negotiations between the Hudson River states over the finer details of the Gateway program, a series of multibillion-dollar projects that should enlarge and restore rail tunnels between the two states, repair or replace a number of bridges, and improve Pennsylvania Station. However, several agreements were signed last year to advance these projects, and each state provided money to fund a bi-state agency overseeing these projects.