New York City’s congestion pricing program is moving forward with a $15 fee on passenger vehicles, reports Stephen Nessen in Gothamist, after the MTA board voted to approve it. The program now enters a 60-day public comment period before a final vote.

Nessen points out that “The stakes are high for the program. Congestion pricing has been successfully implemented in other countries. But the MTA’s program represents the first effort in the United States to impose a fee to reduce gridlock.” Additionally, “The tolls are required by law to back $15 billion worth of loans, which accounts for nearly a third of the MTA’s 2020-2024 construction program.”

The program includes exemptions and fare discounts for low-income drivers, emergency vehicles, and drivers who already pay certain tolls. “Small trucks, buses and vans face a $24 charge during those hours, while large trucks, including big rigs, will have to pay $36. Motorcycles will be tolled a $7.50 daytime fee.” The fee is reduced by 75 percent during nighttime hours.

    • @RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      It’s the only place I know where people have argued with each other on how to best help a tourist out.

      Look, this is a city where you have wealthy business owners and blue collar folk living across the street from one another, literary geniuses and creatives living next door to programmers and engineers… the people who live and thrive here are makers and doers, in every avenue of human adventure we can yet think of.

      That a bit of noise is all it takes to get you to miss how wonderfully unique this situation is, of all walks of life talking, reading, eating and living with each other, is a damning indictment of how tough you actually are, and how much you bring to the table.

      Can’t handle it? Wahh.

      E: Each downvote on this comment is an admission that you, the downvoter, are similarly rigid. Prove me wrong.

            • @RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              Nah man, I absolutely don’t think that’s the case, not is that the case for any fellow city folk. My previous post should have made that real clear. We got all walks of life walking and talking, and a lot of us travel too. We see what we have, and what’s out there as well.

              One thing you won’t see me doing is talking shit on other people’s home towns, because that’s low class and low quality thinking. I don’t particularly like small towns or suburbs for social reasons, some people do. That’s ok.

              Wake up, do something interesting for a change.