MTA approves Gov. Hochul's plan to pause NYC congestion toll, pulling $16.5 billion from agency's budget



The Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted on Wednesday to support New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's (D) plan to pause the Manhattan congestion toll indefinitely, the New York Post reported.

Earlier this month, Hochul pumped the brakes on the MTA's congestion pricing plan, arguing it would put "undue strain on already stressed New Yorkers."

'It would be fundamentally unfair to the outer boroughs.'

If implemented, to drive on 60th Street and below, most passenger vehicles would be charged $15, motorcyclists $7.50, small trucks and charter buses $24, and large trucks and tour buses $36. The cameras are already installed and the city would use the state's existing E-ZPass system to collect most tolls. Those without a pass would be charged higher fees for their commute.

The plan to implement a congestion toll and the MTA's pricing structure have faced several legal challenges.

New Jersey filed a lawsuit in April, claiming it would put an economic strain on its residents, Blaze News previously reported. The complaint argued that the city "failed to adequately consider the environment impacts" and "ignored the significant financial burden being placed on New Jerseyans and New Jersey's transportation system."

The Trucking Association of New York also filed a lawsuit stating that the MTA's pricing framework "disproportionately targets" truckers and logistics companies, which would be fined at a higher rate than passenger vehicles.

Amid the pushback, Hochul announced that she would temporarily pause the congestion toll, which was previously slated for June 30.

"Let's be real: a $15 charge may not mean a lot to someone who has the means, but it can break the budget of a working- or middle-class household," she stated. "It puts the squeeze on the very people who make this city go."

On Wednesday, the MTA board voted 10-1 to pause the implementation of the toll despite noting that it would effectively reduce its budget by $16.5 billion. The funds were slated to go toward public transit improvements.

More than 100 New York residents attended the recent board meeting; most expressed support for the toll. Some carried signs reading, "Gov, Stop Jamming Up Good Law," "Congestion Pricing = Faster Commutes," and "Fix the Subway!"

Janno Lieber, the MTA CEO, said, "We will be ready to put Humpty Dumpty back together as quickly as possible."

"We can keep the machinery of congestion pricing in operating order so it's ready when the temporary pause is in fact lifted," he added.

Assembly member Michael Tannousis (R) stated that he opposes the toll.

"I am a major opponent of congestion pricing because I believe, and evidence has shown, it would be fundamentally unfair to the outer boroughs, especially Staten Island and especially Bay Ridge," Tannousis said. "Don't get me wrong, I am a user of mass transit. I use the Express bus and I also use the subway. However, this plan would have been to the benefit of a few and the detriment of many."

In a statement released after the MTA board's vote, Hochul promised to find "new revenue sources."

"While the timing of the next budget may necessitate temporary adjustments to the timeline of certain contracts, there is no reason for New Yorkers to be concerned that any planned projects will not be delivered," she remarked.

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Truckers sue New York over congestion toll pricing: ‘Charged far higher rates than passenger vehicles’



The Trucking Association of New York filed a lawsuit Thursday against New York over its plan to implement a congestion toll for Manhattan commuters. TANY argued that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's pricing framework “disproportionately targets” truckers.

“The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York this morning, argues that the congestion pricing policy unfairly targets trucking and logistics companies, which are charged far higher rates than passenger vehicles,” TANY wrote in a post on X Friday.

'TANY has advocated for an exemption of the supply chain industries.'

The association noted that it is “not fundamentally opposed to congestion pricing” but is “fighting to overturn the current version of this plan.”

The MTA, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and New York Attorney General Letitia James are listed as defendants in the suit.

The complaint read, “Several vehicle classes are fully exempt from the Tolling Program. Most notably, New York City Taxis and For-Hire Vehicles (such as Uber and Lyft), despite making up more than half of all vehicle traffic in the Zone, will pay nothing for entering.”

“The only vehicle classes with no full or partial exemptions are commercial trucks and vans,” it continued, noting that such vehicles only make up 4% of all traffic in the congestion toll zone.

“To make the unfairness of this tolling structure even worse, TANY trucks are unable to take advantage of subways and buses to complete their necessary deliveries, so they have no choice but to enter and re-enter the Zone as many times per day as required to meet their customers’ needs,” the lawsuit stated.

The association also noted that it will not benefit from the estimated $1 billion per year the tolls are expected to generate, as those funds are slated to go toward the city’s subways, buses, and railroads.

TANY called for the implementation of the congestion toll to be halted.

Depending on the size, trucks could be charged $24 or $36 to drive on 60th Street and below. Most passenger vehicles will be charged $15, and motorcyclists $7.50.

City officials predict that the congestion toll plan will reduce traffic in the area by 17%.

“TANY has advocated for an exemption of the supply chain industries from the Tolling Program; pricing parity between trucks and passenger vehicles; or at the very least a once-per-day charge to trucks entering the Central Business District, similar to that afforded to passenger vehicles or any combination of these alternatives,” the association’s complaint read.

The congestion toll is slated to take effect on June 30. The city is currently facing several lawsuits over the plan.

The MTA decline a request for comment from Fox Business.

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New Jersey pushes back on NYC's $15 congestion toll: 'You are not eliminating pollution; you are just displacing it'



New Jersey presented oral arguments on Wednesday in its lawsuit against New York over its $15-per-day congestion toll for Manhattan commuters. The complaint argues that the plan will place an economic strain on New Jersey residents and fail to reduce pollution, WABC-TV reported.

According to the lawsuit, the Federal Highway Administration approved New York City's toll but "failed to adequately consider the environment impacts" and "ignored the significant financial burden being placed on New Jerseyans and New Jersey's transportation system."

The complaint claims the federal government rushed through the approval without adequately reviewing the potential impacts.

Randy Mastro, a lawyer representing New Jersey in the case, called it "mind-boggling" that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority concluded the congestion toll would have "no significant impact" on traffic, the economy, or air quality in nearby areas, the New York Post reported. Mastro claimed that the FHWA's approval was "predetermined."

Mastro questioned whether the review "took a hard look into the adverse environmental impact" on the "entire region."

"They didn't consider New Jersey adequately," he stated.

As part of New York City's congestion toll plan, it set aside a $35 million mitigation commitment for the Bronx. However, it did not allocate any funds to New Jersey.

"There has been a mitigation commitment and in a dollar amount to the Bronx. Isn't that differentiated treatment, potentially rising to the level of arbitrariness?" Judge Leo Gordon asked MTA and FHWA lawyers.

Elizabeth Knauer, a lawyer representing the MTA, denied the claims of differentiated treatment.

New Jersey officials hope the legal action will force the federal government to conduct a more thorough evaluation. Governor Phil Murphy (D) contended that New York City's plan will only move pollution to surrounding areas.

"You are not eliminating pollution; you are just displacing it from Manhattan to New Jersey," Murphy stated Tuesday. "And you're charging our commuters an exorbitant fee on top of that."

Murphy has asserted that the city's plan is a "blatant cash-grab."

WABC reported that over 400,000 New Jersey residents commute into Manhattan every day. The new toll, slated to take effect in June, will require New Jersey commuters to pay millions of dollars to the MTA.

The lawsuit stated, "The end result is that New Jersey will bear much of the burden of this congestion pricing scheme — in terms of environmental, financial, and human impacts — but receive none of its benefits."

The MTA passed the controversial congestion toll in an 11-1 vote last week. Under the plan, most passenger vehicles will be charged $15 per day to drive on 60th Street and below. Small trucks and charter buses will be charged $24 per day, and large trucks and tour buses will be charged $36 per day. Motorcyclists will receive a $7.50 toll per day. The cost will drop by 75% in the evening. Commuters using taxis and black car services must pay an additional $1.25 fare, while Uber and Lyft passengers pay an extra $2.50.

New York City will use the state's existing E-ZPass system to collect most tolls. Drivers without a pass will be charged at a higher rate. For example, instead of $15 per day, passenger vehicles without an E-ZPass will be charged $22.50 per day.

Drivers making less than $50,000 per year could be eligible to receive a discount.

City officials anticipate the plan will reduce traffic by 17% and collect $1 billion annually. The funds gathered through the toll system will be used to improve public transportation.

Currently, the city is facing six lawsuits over the congestion toll plan.

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'F*** Israel and f*** you too!' NYC transportation boss caught on video cursing allegedly at Jewish woman waving Israeli flag



A New York City transportation supervisor was caught on video cursing allegedly at a Jewish woman waving an Israeli flag on a Manhattan street earlier this month, the New York Post reported.

Kenneth Foster in the clip can be heard saying, "F*** Israel and f*** you, too," the paper noted, adding that he also told the unidentified woman, “I got the right to say what the f*** I want, I’m American.”

Foster, 57, said in an interview with the Post that on Nov. 11 he was walking down Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side with his mother when the woman’s flag “almost hit” him.

A video of Foster cursing and issuing a middle finger was posted on Instagram; a panel on the Instagram post also claims Foster was "spotted intimidating and harassing Jews hanging up posters of kidnapped hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th." Foster, however, told the paper he was unaware of any posters.

“I stated, ‘Why are you waving that flag that is part of an apartheid state?'” Foster told the Post. “So she got mad, like they mostly always do when you talk about Israel. I said, ‘F you’ and ‘F Israel.’ I didn’t say nothing about Jews to her ... now I have to defend myself."

Foster added to the paper that he has nothing against Jewish people and should have “just walked away.”

“I’m against oppression of anybody because I’m black, so I know what oppression is,” he added to the Post.

Foster told the paper he's worked for the MTA for 36 years; the Post added that he earned just over $143,000 last year for managing track maintenance and construction.

The paper said Foster has shared pro-Palestinian posts on his public Facebook page since Oct. 7.

An MTA spokesman told the Post that the transportation agency "has no tolerance for hatred or discrimination" and that it has "begun an investigation to determine all the facts.”

Content warning: Middle finger:

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Andrew Cuomo Announces Fine for New York Maskless Subway Riders

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that subway riders will face a $50 fine if they choose not to wear a mask.