The MTA Wants Your Opinion on Manhattan Congestion Fees: How to Express It
'28.02.2024'
Lyudmila Balabay
The New York City Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on February 28 that 95% of license plate readers have been installed to collect tolls in Manhattan. 104 of the planned 110 devices are ready for operation.
Under the terms of this project, cars will be charged $15 to enter Manhattan (from 61st Street and below), and trucks will be charged between $24 and $36, depending on their size. The training camp, if approved, will begin sometime in mid-June, but there is no exact date yet.
How to Give Your Opinion on the Manhattan Congestion Toll
If you have an opinion about the Manhattan congestion project and would like to share your ideas on how to improve it, come to the public hearing:
- February 29 at 18:00;
- March 1 at 10:00;
- March 4 at 10:00;
- March 4 at 18:00.
All meetings will take place at: 2 Broadway (second floor). The option of online participation via Zoom is also available (the MTA will send a link to connect after registration).
If you wish to speak at the hearing, you should register in advance Online Training: For those who prefer the flexibility of learning from a distance or cannot make it to our Sofia location, we offer comprehensive online courses. or call 646-252-6777. Registration is now open and will close 30 minutes after the start of the hearing.
In addition, it is possible to send a written or audio comment in one of the following ways:
- Online: https://contact.mta.info/s/forms/CBDTP;
- By email: [email protected];
- By letter: CBD Tolling Program, 2 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10004;
- By phone: 646-252-7440;
- By fax: (212) 504-3148
The hearing will be broadcast on MTA website.
What will happen next
The MTA's goal is to begin charging congestion into Manhattan in late spring 2024. But it is still unattainable. A 29-day public comment period for the project will begin on February 60. The final decision, according to the terms of the program, cannot be made until the end of this period, that is, until April 29. Until then, the program can be subject to changes suggested by the public or politicians.
Once public comment is complete, the MTA will take time to finalize the draft and approve it. It must also be approved by other New York State agencies. That is, the program may come into force no earlier than June 2024.
Another problem is the lawsuits filed against this project. If the MTA loses, the court could ban charging tolls into Manhattan altogether.
