The Traffic Mobility Review Board has finally announced their proposal for Congestion Pricing in NYC. It calls for motorcycles to be charged 50% of the car rate, and to receive 50% of the crossing credits into the Central Business District, which is Manhattan below 60th St, excluding the FDR and the West Side Highway. The toll will be $15 for cars and $7.50 for motorcycles. There will be a $5 crossing credit for cars and a $2.50 crossing credit for motorcycles entering the CBD via tolled crossings such as the Midtown, Holland or Lincoln Tunnels. There will be no crossing credit for the GW Bridge since it lands outside the CBD. This peak toll rate will be in effect from 5AM until 9PM on weekdays, and from 9AM until 9PM on weekends. The toll rate will be reduced by 75% during off peak hours.
Congestion Pricing in New York Report via the MTA
The MTA will review the TMRBs proposal while they allow for a requisite public comment period. It’s widely expected that this current proposal will be accepted as-is early next year. New Jersey is suing to send the proposal back to the drawing board. While there’s a chance these suits will cause Congestion Pricing to be delayed from its expected start this spring, no outcome from NJ’s legal actions will be likely to affect how motorcycles will eventually be tolled. Whenever Congestion Pricing goes into effect we’ll almost certainly pay 50% of whatever rate they charge a car coming into the CBD.
While it’s not the full exemption we worked so hard for, this is still a victory we can be proud of. Right up until early October we were in grave danger of paying full price! Thank you to everyone who called, wrote and showed up to protest. Thank you to everyone who contacted your representatives, and thank you to everyone who spoke at those interminable MTA hearings. And then spoke again. I was and am so impressed with how smart and articulate our speakers were. I watched and listened to so many other speakers while waiting to hear our people. We rocked! As a result of our activism on Congestion Pricing, officials at the MTA have assured me that policy regarding motorcycles will be included in all their decisions going forward.
We’ll keep this mailing list informed with moto-related Congestion Pricing information. Our next step will be to start pushing forward on a few relevant issues such as motorcycle-only parking to daylight intersections. As always, I welcome your connections and input! Reach out to me anytime. Feel free to share these mailings widely, and be sure to let me know if you want to be removed from this mailing list.
Thank you for all you do,
Cheryl Stewart