The New York City Council approved a proposal to charge cars $8 and trucks $21 that enter Manhattan below 60th St. between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m on weekdays. According to Bloomberg.com, the fee will be reduced to $7 for low-emissions trucks.
The bill was sent to the state legislature in Albany for final approval. The state must pass the bill before April 7th for the state to be eligible for $354 million in federal funds earmarked for mass transit improvements, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
The Council passed the proposal by a vote of 30 to 20. According to the Mayor, only 4.75% of people who live elsewhere in New York City and work below 60th St. drive to work. The extra resources will help fund infrastructure and transportation projects that will create tens of thousands of construction jobs over the next three decades, he added.
"We continue to make progress towards implementing a congestion pricing proposal that will cut traffic, improve our economy and create jobs," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Congestion pricing will also cut pollution, which will improve public health and will generate billions of dollars in revenue to improve mass transit for hard working men and women in New York, who overwhelmingly use the system to get to work. The leaders endorsing congestion pricing today recognize that it will benefit their members and they're doing the right thing by taking a stand and offering their support. I commend them."
