The Trucking Association of New York filed a lawsuit last week against the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA over a framework for congestion pricing in New York City, which was supposed to start at the end of this month.
The lawsuit, filed on May 30 in the Southern District of New York, argues that congestion pricing unfairly targets trucking companies and logistics companies who are charged rates far higher than passenger vehicles. The group stated that TANY and its member are not fundamentally against congestion pricing. TANY, however, is fighting to overturn current version of plan in hopes to improve it to reduce its negative impacts and introduce equality for truckers and other transportation.
According to local reports on Wednesday morning less than a week has passed since the lawsuit was filed. Kathy Hochul has been working to postpone indefinitely the implementation of the congestion pricing plan, which was scheduled to take effect on June 30. Hochul cites “unintended consequences” for New Yorkers.
A court document addressing U.S. district court judge Lewis J. Liman, filed on behalf of MTA on June 5, informed the court that Hochul ordered MTA to pause the implementation of this program: “As a consequence, at this point, we do not anticipate implementation of the Program by the previous expected implementation date of 30 June 2024.”
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If the plan was to be implemented, vehicles will be charged a toll to enter the Congestion Relief Zone, (formally known as the Manhattan Central Business District), which is the area of Manhattan south and including 60th Street. This excludes the FDR Drive and West Side Highway/Route 9A and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connection to West Street.
The E-ZPass will charge $36 for large trucks (tractor-trailers), which are defined as arriving in the zone between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. during the weekdays, and 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. at the weekends. Trucks will be charged $9 for overnight entry. Box trucks with a single unit would be charged an additional $24 during peak times and $6 at night.
Passenger vehicles would pay $15 during peak hours, and $3.75 after-hours.
The city also planned on offering crossing credits to vehicles that enter during peak hours via one of four tolled entry points: the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. The credit amount would be up to $20 per large truck and up to $12 per small truck. There would be no crossing credits offered overnight if the toll was reduced by 75% compared to the peak period toll.
TANY, in its lawsuit, cited an exemption for Uber and Lyft drivers, taxis, and other vehicles that make up over half of the traffic in Zone. “To make this unfairness even more pronounced, TANY trucks cannot use subways or buses to complete deliveries. They are therefore forced to enter and reenter the Zone multiple times per day to meet the needs of their customers.”
TANY sought a declaration that the tolling system was unconstitutional, and a preliminary order preventing its implementation.
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