NYC Council Passes Congestion-Fee Measure
The New York City Council approved a proposal to charge drivers “congestion fees” in central Manhattan for the busiest times of the day, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
The plan would charge cars $8 and most trucks $21 during peak hours starting next March, Bloomberg reported.
It would allow reduced fees for low-emission trucks, which would pay $7, while taxis and limousines would pay an extra $1 for trips that begin or end in the zone, south of 60th Street in Manhattan.
The zone would run via a system of electronic toll monitors and license-plate reading cameras at its periphery, at peak hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Bloomberg reported.
Proponents say the plan would raise $491 million, which would be dedicated to improve and maintain the country’s largest public transit system, Bloomberg said.
The proposal — which was passed by a 30-20 vote, in one of the closest Council votes — still needs to be approved by the state legislature by Monday, or the city will risk losing about $350 million in federal money to help offset its costs, the Times reported.
Gov. David Paterson (D), who took office last month following the resignation of Elliot Spitzer, has said he supports the plan.
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