Changes the start date of the operation and enforcement of the central business district tolling program from no earlier than December thirty-first, two thousand twenty to no earlier than January first, two thousand thirty-one.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1747
SPONSOR: Weprin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to delaying the
start date of the operation and enforcement of the central business
district tolling program
PURPOSE:
This bill will delay the implementation of the Central Business District
Tolling Program, also referred to as "Congestion Pricing" until January
1, 2029.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subdivision 8 of section 1703 of the vehicle and traf-
fic law.
Section 2 provides an effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
As part of the 2019 state budget, the MTA's Triborough Bridge and Tunnel
Authority (TBTA) was authorized to establish the Central District Busi-
ness Tolling Program (CBDTP), which will charge travelers a variable fee
for driving into Manhattan's Central Business District, defined as any
area south of 61st Street. The CBDTP, also known as "Congestion Pric-
ing", will impose additional financial strain on New Yorlgers at a time
when families and businesses are still recovering from the COVID-19
pandemic and inflation.
Many areas in New York City are transit deserts and a trip into Manhat-
tan can take over two hours and require multiple buses and subway trans-
fers, while driving can cut that time in half. Many New Yorkers have no
viable transportation option into Manhattan other than driving a car.
Congestion Pricing will impose heavy financial burdens on taxi drivers,
truck drivers, the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled community.
Restaurants, theaters, concert halls, tourism, and the entire business
ecosystem depend on the financial support of outer borough residents and
visitors from neighboring states. This unwarranted tax will deter people
from visiting New York City and disrupt our recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic and inflation. This bill would delay the implementation of the
Central Business District Tolling Program until January 1, 2031.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1747
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, BURDICK, PHEFFER AMATO, HYNDMAN -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to delaying the
start date of the operation and enforcement of the central business
district tolling program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 1703 of the vehicle and traffic
2 law, as added by section 1 of subpart A of part ZZZ of chapter 59 of the
3 laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
4 8. "Operation date" means the date determined by the Triborough bridge
5 and tunnel authority, which shall not be earlier than [December thirty-
6 first] January first, two thousand [twenty] thirty-one, for the begin-
7 ning of the operation and enforcement of the central business district
8 tolling program. The operation and enforcement date shall commence only
9 after an initial program testing period of thirty days where no
10 collection of any tolls, fees, or other charges shall be authorized. As
11 of the commencement date of operation and enforcement, there shall be a
12 period of sixty days where only the established tolls may be collected
13 without the collection of other fees or charges or fines.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03775-01-5
