New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for tweaks to the MTA’s congestion pricing program, which has sparked concerns about its impact on working people and the environment. The senator wants to add exemptions for firefighters, nurses, first responders, public servants, and Staten Island residents.
Gillibrand’s comments come as the city grapples with intense opposition from Republicans and concerns about the program’s fairness. MTA officials have warned that adding exemptions would force them to raise prices for everyone else, killing some of the traffic reduction benefits seen since the program launched. Despite this, a recent poll shows 51% of respondents who drive into the congestion zone regularly support the tolls.
The senator’s push for exemptions highlights the challenge Democrats face in defending the new tolls after losing an election focused on cost-of-living concerns. A bipartisan group of state legislators has proposed 17 bills seeking to carve out exemptions, but experts warn that these proposals could be used as bargaining chips by MTA officials to secure additional taxes.
The MTA’s congestion pricing program has shown improvements in traffic speeds across the city, including a 48% increase in travel speeds through the Holland Tunnel. The program is part of a larger effort to fund the agency’s $65 billion five-year plan to rescue New York City’s mass transit system from collapse.
Source: https://gothamist.com/news/debate-over-nyc-congestion-pricing-exemptions-wont-die