Speakers take aim at congestion pricing at public hearing

Manhattan’s long-anticipated congestion tolling plan — expected to beef up the MTA's coffers, ease traffic and improve air quality — drew a mixed reaction during a virtual public hearing Thursday evening.

Eric Goldner, 25, of Roslyn, one of a handful of Long Island speakers at the hearing, said: "Why should I, the Long Islander, have to pay an additional fee to drive into New York City to do what I love to do … on top of everything else, such as the cost of living in Long Island, Nassau County, which is always on the rise?"

The hearing was the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's fifth of 13 on the tolls, which could be as high as $35 for drivers without E-ZPass entering the "Central Business District" — below 60th Street. Rates for E-ZPass users would range from $9 to $23, the MTA said last week.

The hearings are part of an environmental review process mandated by the Federal Highway Administration, which is overseeing the first-in-the-nation congestion plan.

Matt Kamper, a 26-year Long Island resident, supports the initiative. "As a commuter on the Long Island Rail Road, I’ve seen the congestion first hand along the LIE … Congestion is absolutely worse than ever," he said.

"We need to reduce the congestion across this region. We need to reduce the congestion of people trying to drive into Manhattan and encourage riders to get back onto mass transit where they belong," Kamper added.

One elected official took aim at the tolling prices.

"The tolling has to be fair. It cannot be so exorbitant that it crushes people, and at the same time you also have to give people opportunities, at different times, at less-congested times, to opt to drive into the city then, when the pricing might not be as high," State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) said.

Drivers solely using the West Side Highway or the FDR, as well as emergency vehicles and those transporting people with disabilities, will be exempt from paying the tolls. The city also is weighing exemptions for various other populations, which would impact prices.

Implementation of the plan, which would start in 2023, hinges on the highway administration’s approval of a 16-month-long environmental review. Feedback from the public and transit advocates will be included in the final assessment. While the first 10 meetings are regionally focused, the final three meetings will center on environmental justice.

Rates are also expected to fluctuate during the day, while a different tolling range will apply to trucks and other vehicles. Ultimately, the prices won’t be finalized until the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority receives recommendations from a six-member Traffic Mobility Review Board, established after the State Legislature approved the congestion plan in 2019.

The MTA aims to generate $1 billion in annual revenue, which would be used to secure billions more in loans for infrastructure investments. Ten percent of the revenue would go toward the Long Island Rail Road, and another 10% would be used for the Metro-North Railroad.

In addition to providing a regular stream of income for the MTA’s $54.1 billion 2020-24 Capital Plan, the initiative also hopes to cut traffic, reduce emissions and increase transit equity. The environmental review will analyze the impact of the tolling plan on traffic, transit, air quality and other environmental indicators.

Residents in the Central Business District earning less than $60,000 a year will receive a tax credit.

The MTA previously said the congestion pricing plan was delayed for nearly two years under former President Donald Trump's administration, but in March, President Joe Biden’s transportation department gave the MTA needed approvals to move forward.