New York City implemented its Congestion Relief Zone toll in Manhattan Sunday, in an effort to reduce pollution, traffic and fund mass transit improvements. So far, reactions are mixed all over the tri-state area, including in Fairfield County.
Stamford resident, Jon Moss, criticized the plan and said many drivers already dealing with the added expenses of driving into New York can probably handle an extra toll charge.
“You look at what it costs already to drive in, what it costs to park, and $9 isn't sufficient,” Moss said.
Moss regularly commutes to New York on the train or by driving. He said the congestion zone, which charges a $9 toll for drivers travelling in Manhattan from below 60th Street all the way down to the end of Manhattan Island, will also end up shifting traffic to other parts of the city.
However, commuter advocates, such as Jim Cameron, a columnist with the Connecticut Mirror, said the relief zone will end up being a major benefit for commuters in the long run.
“The nice thing about the congestion pricing plan in New York City is that there's an incentive not to drive into midtown Manhattan. But it also takes the money that's raised from those tolls and invests it back into mass transit,” Cameron said.
The congestion charge is collected through the E-Z Pass toll system. Drivers who already have an E-Z Pass account in good standing don’t need to take any additional action.
Drivers who commute into the city from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends will pay the peak toll charge.
They will only pay $2.25 outside those hours on weeknights.
There are discounts available for those who meet income requirements. People with disabilities are eligible for an exemption.
As of now, reaction has been mixed. Opponents say the tolls will hurt working class commuters, businesses or drive traffic elsewhere.
Moss, the Stamford resident, said the tolls are a money grab.
“The toll is not an instrument to achieve a reduction in congestion. It's completely naive. It's just a way to raise money,” Moss said.
An MTA 2023 environmental assessment showed about 142,000 people from various parts of the New York tri-state area commute regularly by car into the zone. And Connecticut drivers only make up about 2% of that population.
According to the MTA, $15 billion of the revenue from the new tolls will be invested in transit upgrades and improvements.
And $1.5 billion will be invested on Metro-North’s New Haven Line including improvements to tracks, capacity and rehabilitating electrical substations.
Cameron said drivers will benefit too because fewer cars on the road means less traffic to navigate. He said some commuters, already dealing with expenses, see another toll as government overreach. But he’s asking people to be patient and give the plan some time
“The people that will benefit from this are not just people who take mass transit, the subways or Metro-North, but also those people who have to or choose to drive,” Cameron said.
