Trucks and taxis at center of debate as MTA panel mulls cost of congestion pricing
As an MTA panel prepares to recommend the cost of tolls for Manhattan's congestion pricing program, some members tell Gothamist two matters are still up for debate: how much to charge trucks, and the fee structure for taxis and for-hire vehicles.
Behind the scenes, the panel is wrestling with how the trucking industry will respond to congestion pricing, and whether to give taxis a discount on the tolls compared to for-hire competitors like Uber and Lyft, two members of the panel said.One Traffic Mobility Review Board member spoke to Gothamist on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Another board member, Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen, spoke on the record, corroborating what the other member said.
Kendra Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New York, said “there’s a misconception about the trucking industry and how much we can bear in terms of additional costs.” She said smaller trucking outfits typically operate on a profit margin of 1% or 2%. “The net result is there's not even going to be that much of a change ,” said Komanoff, who created a tool used by the state to analyze the impacts of congestion pricing. “They're mostly going to continue doing what they'll do because the increased cost out of pocket of the toll will be more than offset by the time savings.”
A board member said several members of the group are pushing to give taxis an edge on the new tolls because, unlike Uber and Lyft, their rates are fixed and cannot surge during busy parts of the day. State law requires the review board to recommend a toll structure that brings in $1 billion a year. That money must be used by the MTA to take out $15 billion in loans for
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