Photograph by Eye Captain on Flickr
The Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission has recommended a slightly different congestion pricing plan than the one the mayor made last year. Streetsblog got a look at the recommendation and toplines some of the details:
- An $8 fee to drive into Manhattan south of 60th Street on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (the mayor's plan had a cut-off of 86th Street
- Trucks pay $21, except for low-emission trucks which pay $7
- East and west side highways would NOT be free; the cordon would start at bridge exits in Manhattan
- Increased on-street parking meter rates within the zone
- Elimination of the resident parking tax exemption for off-street parking garages and lots within the zone
- For EZ Pass users, the value of all tolls would be deducted from the fee up to $8
- A $1 surcharge for motorists who don't use EZ Pass
- $1 surcharge on taxi and black car trips that start and end within the zone during pricing hours
- A lockbox, or "dedicated transit account," will be created, aimed mainly at funding the MTA Capital Plan
- Short-term strategic improvements to subway, bus, and express bus service should be put in place before pricing kicks in
You can read the recommendation here (PDF) and Streetsblog's Aaron Naparstek is at the meeting and tells us the commission's recommendation "is an impressive piece of work."
"The commission did a great job of taking the mayor's plan and improving it by incorporating feedback from the public. The process was outstanding. I really hope that the Council and Assembly will see the wisdom in passing this and allowing this pilot project to go forward.. If they do, NYC will immediately be a model for 21st cent urban sustainability and any example to other cities around the world."
