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☆ New York City’s Congestion Pricing Plan Clears Final Bureaucratic Hurdle
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New York City’s congestion pricing program has cleared its last bureaucratic hurdle, and most drivers could soon be paying $9 to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s mass transit network and will oversee the pricing plan, has been granted permission by the Federal Highway Administration to proceed with the tolls as planned, according to M.T.A. Congestion pricing would charge most motorists $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours, down from the previously approved rate of $15. Although it has received final government approval, congestion pricing could still be undone, even after its start date. President-elect Donald J. Trump has also threatened to stop congestion pricing as one of his first acts in office.

Persons: Donald J, Trump Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Federal, Administration Locations: York, Manhattan

☆ Congestion Pricing Delay Will Stop Billions in Subway Upgrades
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Transit leaders in New York City are preparing to scale back billions of dollars’ worth of upgrades to the nation’s largest transit network after Gov. Kathy Hochul halted a tolling program that would have paid for improvements and repairs. Gone were plans to make subway stations more accessible to riders with disabilities, repairs to some nearly century-old infrastructure and the expansion of the Second Avenue subway line, among other now-deferred projects. The board has yet to officially revise its capital plans but did pass a resolution on Wednesday to remain prepared to put the congestion pricing program into effect once it gets the green light from Albany. Governor Hochul has not indicated when that might be.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Hochul Organizations: Gov, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Locations: New York City, Albany

☆ Congestion Pricing Will Start on June 30 in New York City, M.T.A. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first congestion pricing program in the United States will begin in New York City on June 30, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Friday, signaling the possible end of a bitter fight over a plan that promises to ease some of the worst traffic in the nation. With months still to go before the program’s scheduled rollout, legal and political clashes still threaten to dilute or stop it altogether. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, influential unions and some elected New York City officials — have ratcheted up a long-running effort to keep congestion pricing from taking effect. Under the program, most passenger cars will be charged $15 a day to enter a congestion zone below 60th Street in Manhattan. Taxi fares would increase by $1.25, and Uber and Lyft fares would rise by $2.50.

Persons: Philip D, Murphy, Uber Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Gov, New York, Trucks Locations: United States, New York City, Murphy of New Jersey, Manhattan

New York City Transit workers, responding to an overnight slashing attack that injured a train conductor, stopped work to file safety complaints on Thursday morning, causing severe disruptions in subway service. During the morning rush hours, workers staged the job action at the 207th Street station on the A line and the 168th Street station on the A and C lines in Manhattan. The workers declined to fulfill their assigned jobs, leading to the disruptions, according to two transit officials with knowledge of the situation. At a news conference Thursday afternoon, union leaders said that transit workers and union representatives had submitted safety forms following the attack in the morning — a procedure allowed by their contract — and that trains had experienced delays as a result. A major concern was the lack of police presence in the subway station following the Brooklyn attack, they said.

Organizations: York City Transit, 207th, 168th, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Locations: York, Brooklyn, Manhattan

New York is on the verge of becoming the first U.S. city to charge drivers for entering its busiest areas, but it is following three cities overseas where such tolling systems have become a way of life. London, Stockholm and Singapore all went ahead with congestion pricing while it was still just an idea in New York, one that stalled for years amid opposition from many commuters and elected officials. The three cities have become real-life testing grounds for congestion pricing. But carrying out congestion pricing has not been easy and the fees, which have risen over the years, continue to draw complaints from drivers and from civic and business leaders. Now, these cities’ experiences provide a glimpse of the challenges that lie ahead for New York.

Organizations: New Locations: York, U.S, London, Stockholm, Singapore, New York

☆ Congestion Pricing Is Coming. Its Opponents Are Still Furious.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sarah M. Kaufman, the executive director of the Rudin Center for Transportation at N.Y.U., said that other cities with congestion pricing programs have usually experienced resistance from the public during its first six months in operation, but eventually support grows. Mr. Samuelsen said the fees, credits and exemptions being considered by the authority do not do enough to help drivers who cannot use transit or who cannot afford added costs. should drastically improve service before the launch of the congestion pricing program in order to encourage more people to ride subways and buses. has stubbornly and moronically stuck to its position that the status quo is adequate,” Mr. Samuelsen wrote in a statement. “As a result, we have a congestion pricing plan that is all stick and no carrot.”Congestion pricing could also drive up the authority’s debt.

Persons: Sarah M, Kaufman, they’ve, Ms, John Samuelsen, Samuelsen, moronically, Mr, Thomas P, DiNapoli Organizations: Rudin Center, Transportation, Transport Workers Union Locations: N.Y.U

☆ $15 Tolls Likely for Nation’s First Congestion Pricing Program
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first congestion pricing program in the United States is taking final shape in New York City, and most drivers appear likely to pay $15 to enter some of the busiest streets in Manhattan as soon as next spring. Transit officials on Wednesday provided the clearest picture yet of the tolls they hope to implement to collect roughly $1 billion annually to fund improvements to the subway and bus networks. In a 19-page report, transit officials narrowed down a dizzying list of tolling possibilities that had been studied over the past year to a single set. Cars will pay a toll of up to $15 once per day, and commercial trucks will pay as much as $36. The report also showed who will get the biggest discounts, credits and exemptions, which have been hotly debated questions.

Locations: United States, New York City, Manhattan, New York

☆ Thanksgiving Travel Days Expected to Be Busiest in Nearly 20 Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More holiday travelers will pack airports and highways this Thanksgiving as a drop in airfare and gas prices stokes the nation’s busiest travel time of the year. Even as travel demand holds strong, a severe weather forecast threatens to cause flight delays and traffic jams across swaths of the country. “For many Americans, Thanksgiving and travel go hand in hand, and this holiday, we expect more people on the roads, skies and seas compared to 2022,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “Travel demand has been strong all year.”AAA, the automobile owners’ group that also tracks air travel, expects that 4.7 million people will fly between Wednesday and Sunday. That is an increase of 6.6 percent compared with last year, and the highest number of Thanksgiving air travelers in nearly two decades.

Persons: ” Paula Twidale Organizations: AAA Travel, ” AAA

☆ Does Anyone Know How to Behave on the Subway Anymore?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Hearing feedback from New Yorkers, we sort of encapsulated a lot of the things that drive people crazy,” said Shanifah Rieara, who oversees rider satisfaction efforts for the authority. The authority has launched such marketing campaigns perennially. In 2017, the authority gave pregnant women blue-and-yellow buttons with a message asking fellow passengers to offer them a seat. is under pressure to improve service and win riders back, in part because the state has mandated that it do so as part of a budget deal. Transit advocates have said that the authority would need to focus on communicating effectively with riders to keep them happy, and its new marketing campaign aims to do that.

Persons: ”, Shanifah Rieara, Mr, Reyes Organizations: Transit

☆ Uber and Lyft Agree to $328 Million Payout for New York Drivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Uber and Lyft have agreed to pay New York drivers a $328 million settlement after the state attorney general investigated a wage-theft complaint charging that the companies collected certain taxes and fees from drivers rather than passengers. Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will provide $38 million into two funds that will payout claims that roughly 100,000 current and former drivers in New York State are eligible to file. The ride-hailing companies did not admit fault in the settlement. The investigation by the office of the attorney general, Letitia James, also looked into whether the companies failed to provide drivers with paid sick leave available to employees in the state. “We thank Attorney General James and her team for their hard work in delivering a resolution that balances accountability and innovation while addressing the true needs of these hard working drivers in New York,” said Tony West, chief legal officer for Uber, in a statement.

Persons: Lyft, Letitia James, James, ”, Tony West, Uber Organizations: New York, New York State Locations: New York

☆ Shoving Attack Renews Calls for M.T.A. to Make Subway Platforms Safer
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Familiar questions about the safety of the transit system have resurfaced. The attack has also renewed calls for the authority to install additional protective features like platform barriers that could help keep transit riders from falling onto the tracks. This year through Oct. 15, there had been 15 people pushed off subway platforms in New York City, compared with 22 during the same period last year, the police said. are sensitive not only to crime rates in the system, but also to how safe riders feel. Even though violent attacks in the system are relatively uncommon, the idea of being pushed onto train tracks is a powerful fear for many riders.

Persons: Alex, “ Locations: New York City

“He’s known to us in the subway system,” the chief said, adding that video from security cameras in the station had helped investigators identify Mr. Jones as the suspect. Being shoved suddenly on a subway platform in particular is a perennial urban nightmare. Through Oct. 15, there had been 15 people pushed off subway platforms in New York City this year, compared with 22 in the same period last year, the police said. In May, a woman was critically injured after a man shoved her head against a moving subway train at the Lexington Avenue/63rd Street station. The woman, Emine Yilmaz Ozsoy, 35, was partially paralyzed in the attack.

Persons: “, Jones, Emine Yilmaz Organizations: Bowery, Committee, Lexington Locations: New York City

New York City’s subway system is a maze of obstructions for people who have difficulty walking. New York has lagged far behind other major American cities in building access points for people with disabilities. Upgrading the entire subway — the continent’s biggest transit network — will take decades and cost billions of dollars. with long and uncertain timelines have diminished many disabled riders’ faith in the authority’s ability to deliver. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Yimbert Remigio, 24, who lives in the Bronx and has always relied on a wheelchair.

Persons: “, ”, Yimbert Remigio Organizations: Yorkers Locations: York, New York, Bronx

☆ How Billions of Dollars Might Upgrade New York City’s Subways
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A long and expensive wish list to upgrade New York City’s subway system is about to get a multibillion-dollar investment from the state’s much-contested plan to toll drivers for entering Midtown Manhattan. The congestion pricing program, which got crucial final approval from the federal government in June, would raise money while discouraging drivers from contributing to traffic and pollution by charging them a fee to enter south of 60th Street. Officials have said the tolls could begin as soon as spring 2024, although a legal challenge from New Jersey could threaten that timeline. The tolls collected by the program would be used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subway, to make changes to the city’s public transit network. has not specified how it could spend congestion pricing proceeds.

Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority Locations: New York, Midtown Manhattan, New Jersey

☆ New Jersey Sues Over Congestion Pricing in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New Jersey is suing the federal government to halt a congestion pricing program that will charge drivers to enter Midtown Manhattan, citing concerns that the tolling program will place unfair financial and environmental burdens on the state’s residents. In its complaint, filed on Friday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, the state said it was challenging the Federal Highway Administration’s “decision to rubber-stamp” its approval of congestion pricing last month, which was the program’s final federal hurdle. The authority said the program, which aims to reduce traffic in New York City while raising billions of dollars for mass transit, could begin as soon as spring 2024. The lawsuit comes two days after a local panel appointed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority convened for the first time to decide on toll rates. At that meeting, dozens of drivers, which included suburbanites, protested against the tolls.

Persons: suburbanites Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority Locations: New Jersey, Midtown Manhattan, New York City

☆ Price of N.Y.C. Subway Ride Is Set to Go Up for the First Time in Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic decimated subway ridership in New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has resisted raising the price of a ride out of fear that even more people would abandon mass transit. But after years of financial uncertainty, the authority now intends to balance its budget, and to do so, it wants to raise the base fare for subway and bus trips for the first time in eight years, to $2.90 from $2.75 by late August. On Wednesday, the M.T.A.’s board is widely expected to vote to approve the proposed fare increase. The decision will almost certainly reverberate across the United States, where transit systems of every size have experienced steep and lingering losses as many white-collar commuters continue to work from home at least part of the time. A May 2023 survey by the American Public Transportation Association found that larger cities have been hit especially hard — 71 percent of transit agencies with budgets greater than $200 million are predicting shortfalls in their operating budgets.

Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, American Public Transportation Association Locations: New York City, United States

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