On Monday, hundreds of people voiced their opinions on the final day to weigh in on one of the most sweeping — and contentious — transportation projects in New York City in decades.
Transit officials held public hearings to hear feedback on the nation’s first congestion-pricing plan, which officials hope will reduce traffic in one of the world’s busiest commercial districts and raise money for public transportation. The plan, expected to take effect as soon as this spring, would charge most drivers a $15 toll for entering much of Manhattan below 60th Street.
Transit leaders have reminded opponents that the final public comment hearings were about possibly fine tuning the details of the congestion-pricing program, not debating its merits. But that didn’t stop some people from voicing their passionate disapproval.
Critics at Monday morning’s meeting at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority raised familiar concerns. They said the tolling plan would place a financial burden on taxi drivers; commuters who live in areas with limited public transit options would be forced to take circuitous public transit routes to Manhattan to avoid paying the toll; and several neighborhoods, including in the Bronx, Manhattan and New Jersey, would be swarmed with new traffic as motorists attempted to avoid the charge. (Taxis and ride-share vehicles won’t be charged the daily rate, but an additional $1.25 will be added to taxi fares and $2.50 to ride shares.)
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, speaking remotely, reiterated his opposition to congestion pricing, which he said was “not, frankly, about congestion or the environment, it is a means to solve the deficit at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.” The $15 toll would be “backbreaking” for New Jersey commuters, he added, and would displace pollution from Manhattan to parts of New Jersey.
But supporters argued congestion pricing would make Manhattan streets safer, cleaner and less overwhelmed by traffic tie-ups.
Urging transit officials to ignore “small but loud opposition and frivolous lawsuits,” Sarah Lind, a co-executive director of the nonprofit organization Open Plans, said revenue generated from congestion pricing would be used to improve New Yorkers’ quality of life by upgrading the subway system, speeding up bus routes and widening bike lanes and sidewalks.
“As congestion decreases, we have the opportunity to reclaim space for people,” she said.
The M.T.A. will review the public comments and consider whether or not to make any updates to the current plan.
The agency hopes to collect some $1 billion in tolls annually, which would help finance improvements to the transit system’s infrastructure.
Following the public comment period, M.T.A. board members will cast a final vote on the plan. The program also faces lawsuits, including suits from the United Federation of Teachers and New Jersey lawmakers.
At the morning hearing, Jim Tedesco, the head administrator of Bergen County, N.J., who sued the M.T.A. in January, called congestion pricing a “shameful money grab” and said, “You should all be ashamed of yourselves.”
Mr. Tedesco also warned against pollution and traffic being diverted to North Jersey. Similar concerns have been raised by residents in New York City who live along routes that could serve as a way to get around the congestion-pricing zone.
While supporters often cite quicker emergency vehicle response times as a key argument in favor of congestion pricing, Oren Barzilay, the president of a local union representing firefighters and emergency medical workers, said the tolling plan would “bring financial ruin” to many emergency workers who rely on personal vehicles for work.
“Ambulances will sit idle,” he said, if emergency workers are forced to move or switch careers because of the financial burden of the new tolls.
But not all emergency workers agree. Daniel Taino, a firefighter who lives on the Lower East Side, said he was living in Manhattan during the pandemic when there was much less traffic.
“I saw what our streets could look like with less congestion from vehicles,” he said, noting several improvements including an easier bike-riding experience, faster bus rides and better air quality.
Wendy Brawer moved to New York City in 1986, she said, inspired by the city’s vast public transit system. But in the years that followed, she said, she was disappointed by how car-centric Manhattan had become.
“They are almost like sacred beasts, and we barely notice how they kill and maim pedestrians and cyclists,” she said.
