Name: De Blasio pushes ‘aggressive’ approval of NYC’s congestion pricing in call with Buttigieg
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De Blasio pushes ‘aggressive’ approval of NYC’s congestion pricing in call with Buttigieg

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AdvertisementBy Transit ReporterMar 02, 2021 at 6:20 pmFederal approval of New York City’s congestion pricing program will move forward “aggressively” under the leadership of new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Mayor de Blasio said Tuesday.Hizzoner said he spoke with Buttigieg last week about the scheme, which aims to pour billions into long-overdue transit upgrades at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority by charging motorists a new toll when they drive south of 61st St. in Manhattan.AdvertisementThe tolls were scheduled go live in early 2021 after the Legislature authorized the plan in 2019 — but transit officials have for more than a year said holdups by the Trump administration delayed the launch until at least 2023.The program requires U.S. Department of Transportation approval because many of Manhattan’s streets receive federal funding and are a part of the federal highway system.Advertisement“One of the ways to help benefit the MTA — the bottom line of the MTA and make sure we have the mass transit we need — is to move congestion pricing aggressively,” de Blasio said at a news conference. “He heard me loud and clear — New York City is ready to go. I think he’s going to do a lot to help us.”“Let’s speed up the process,” he added.As it happensGet updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. &gt; Speeding up that process would first require officials at the Federal Highway Administration — which is under Buttigieg’s DOT — to tell MTA honchos what kind of environmental review process is needed before the tolls launch.MTA officials said congestion pricing could be approved quickly if a process called an environmental assessment is needed. But the launch could take years if a more arduous environmental impact statement that dives deep into alternatives to congestion pricing is required by the feds, officials said.“We’ve said all along that this environmentally friendly program will ease congestion, boost mass transit, reduce air pollution, and improve air quality and health — something of particular importance to our communities of color,” MTA Chairman Patrick Foye said in a statement, calling the delays “cynical and indefensible.”The MTA in 2019 inked a $507 million contract with TransCore — a Tennessee-based company — to install the tolling system across Manhattan, which includes hundreds of E-ZPass readers and cameras at dozens of intersections, including some right in front of the Trump International Hotel on Central Park West.TransCore is required by contract to install the equipment within 310 days after the MTA gives the green light — but that can’t happen until the feds sign off.Even with the Trump administration’s purported delays, the MTA is behind schedule on appointing a group called the “Traffic Mobility Review Board” that was mandated by the same legislation that launched congestion pricing. The board is to be composed of six people appointed by local leaders and must recommend the prices for the tolls.AdvertisementLegislation prohibited the board from making any toll price recommendations until Nov. 15, 2020, after the general election. Nearly four months later, the group’s members have not even been appointed. Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Transit ReporterMar 02, 2021 at 6:20 pmFederal approval of New York City’s congestion pricing program will move forward “aggressively” under the leadership of new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Mayor de Blasio said Tuesday.Hizzoner said he spoke with Buttigieg last week about the scheme, which aims to pour billions into long-overdue transit upgrades at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority by charging motorists a new toll when they drive south of 61st St. in Manhattan.AdvertisementThe tolls were scheduled go live in early 2021 after the Legislature authorized...

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De Blasio pushes ‘aggressive’ approval of NYC’s congestion pricing in call with Buttigieg

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