![]() ![]() In a recent Daily News op-ed, Torres echoed Schwartz’s proposal, writing, “Trucks should get a full credit when using the Lincoln Tunnel or Midtown Tunnel to enter the Central Business District so that there is no cash incentive to divert to the Cross Bronx.” ![]() ![]() Ritchie Torres, who represents the South Bronx in Congress, has said that he supports congestion pricing, but can’t support a scenario that sends any more trucks into the Bronx. Among the seven scenarios the MTA modeled for congestion pricing, only the scenario in which trucks are tolled at the same rate as private cars results in fewer than 100 additional trucks onto the Cross Bronx Expressway every day. #Gridlock nyc driverOn a westbound trip through the Bronx, a driver would pay an $18 toll on the Triborough Bridge, Whitestone Bridge or Throgs Neck Bridge and then an additional $4 toll on the New Jersey Turnpike to avoid the toll, for a total of $22.Īdvocates for the congestion toll are grappling with what to do to ensure that a predicted increase in truck traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway doesn’t come to pass when congestion pricing begins as early as January 2024. #Gridlock nyc driversMeanwhile, westbound truck drivers headed to New Jersey through Manhattan pay $18 if they go through the Queens Midtown Tunnel and nothing at the Lincoln Tunnel, potentially giving truckers more of an incentive to avoid a full toll in a world with congestion pricing. At those prices, truck drivers aren’t incentivized to drive through Manhattan, even if they would deal with slightly less traffic on the trip.Įastbound truck drivers currently pay $44 at the Lincoln Tunnel when heading into the city, and an additional $18 if they choose to take the Queens Midtown Tunnel instead of the Queensboro Bridge. Graphic: MTAīut according to Schwartz, there are still increases in truck traffic in the scenarios with credits because large trucks are still tolled between $42 and $82. The MTA’s various truck toll prices in the congestion pricing scenarios it studied. The amount of trucks predicted to cut through the Bronx in the four scenarios where some kind of credit is given for trucks are all lower than the prediction in Scenario A, known as the base plan, in which no credits or exemptions are given out. The MTA has modeled a pair of scenarios in which truck drivers are given credits for either just the tunnels into and out of Manhattan, or for the tunnels and over every bridge north of the congestion zone. The opposite is more likely, albeit very small in number, due to improved traffic speeds in the CBD,” he said. “There is little to no demand for trucks shifting from the CBD if a credit is given at the Lincoln Tunnel. Under Schwartz’s thinking, truck tolls shouldn’t be more than 2.2 times higher than whatever the toll is for private cars, which under the various congestion pricing scenarios range from $9 to $23 for peak-hour tolls. “Setting the truck rate to be equal to, or less than, that at MTA bridges between Queens and the Bronx would minimize any diversions.” ![]() “The only way congestion pricing would send trucks to the Cross Bronx is if the congestion charge exceeded current tolls,” said Schwartz. Longtime congestion pricing proponent and former New York City Traffic Commissioner “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz says that the city and state should give truck drivers a financial incentive to not cut through the Bronx in an effort to avoid the new tolls.Ī slight increase in truck traffic in The Bronx is one of the potential negative impacts of congestion pricing, the MTA revealed in its environmental assessment, but the numbers of trucks - at most 700 to the 27,000-a-day volume - can be solved, experts say. Gridlock Alert Days often come with the holiday season when more visitors travel to the City.Perhaps toll credits will fix this impasse. On these Gridlock Alert Days, you should consider walking, biking, or taking mass transit for any trips in Manhattan.ĭOT identifies these days by collecting and analyzing traffic data from past years. The Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies Gridlock Alert Days during the UN General Assembly and throughout the holiday season when heavy traffic is expected in Manhattan.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |