In what may mark the culmination of public scrutiny over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) congestion pricing plan for Manhattan, Rockland County intends to take legal action against the proposal. Monday’s public hearings represented a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate surrounding the controversial plan, which aims to alleviate traffic congestion in Manhattan below 60th Street by imposing tolls on drivers.
Under the proposed plan, drivers entering Manhattan during daytime hours would face a toll of $15, with reduced rates for overnight travel. Additionally, trucks and certain buses would incur tolls ranging from $24 to $36, depending on their size, while motorcycles, taxis, and rideshare vehicles would also face varying fees. Low-income drivers are slated to receive a 50% discount, while exempt from tolls would be transit vehicles such as city buses and emergency response vehicles like police and fire vehicles.
Critics, including Rockland County Executive Ed Day, argue that the plan fails to consider the needs of Hudson Valley commuters who lack access to Metro North trains unless they journey through Westchester County. Day emphasized the necessity for exemptions or discounted rates for these commuters, underscoring the potential inequity of the proposed pricing scheme.
Day minced no words in expressing Rockland County’s stance, asserting that legal action against the MTA is imminent, with plans to join New Jersey state officials in litigation. “They don’t want to face a guy like me because it would be a very uncomfortable moment in their lives. They know very well they’re not treating us right,” Day declared, underscoring the county’s determination to challenge the MTA’s congestion pricing plan.