If you drive into Manhattan for work, it could be getting
more expensive.
The MTA
has proposed a new congestion pricing plan.
Under the
plan, all vehicles traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan would
pay the new toll.
E-ZPass
users’ fee would range anywhere
from $9 to $23 depending on the time of day you travel. If you are not using an
E-ZPass, the price could go as high as $35.
A total of 10 virtual public meetings will be
held to discuss the different areas and the impact around the tri-state.
Commuters were able to weigh in at a
public webinar Wednesday night. Most said they won't be able to afford the new plan.
"The cost of living here is very high, people consider moving all the time because of that and adding some draconian fee to driving into the city would be very difficult for many to undertake and swallow," says Sen. Todd Kaminsky.
Officials say the idea of the plan is to limit
the amount of people on the roads and to raise revenue for public
transportation.
The tolls would raise around $1 billion a year
for infrastructure projects – with 10%
of that money going to the Long Island Rail Road.
The plan would take effect in 2023.