Congestion Pricing, Now 2 (!) Years Away

Plus: what unvaccinated MTA workers could mean for train service [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] Congestion Pricing Update: We're Now About 2 Years Away From Getting It Plus: MTA service could plummet if unvaccinated workers don't show up. Staten Island now has two ferry lines. And the Grand Central Oyster Bar is back in business. By James Ramsay --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge] Gothamist More than two years after congestion pricing was approved by lawmakers in Albany — only to be held up by the Trump administration — the MTA finally has approval to move on to the next step: a federally-mandated environmental assessment that will take 16 months. Once that's done, the actual technology for tolling drivers can finally be installed. That process could take another 10 months. Why, you ask, is a law that passed in March of 2019 scheduled to go into effect in the fall of 2023? Transit experts say the MTA is largely hamstrung by a 1970 federal law intended to prevent haphazard highway projects — such as the Cross Bronx Expressway — from devastating communities. Because the toll would be imposed on roads that receive federal dollars, the MTA was blocked from even determining the cost of the toll itself until it received the blessing of the Federal Highway Administration. "It’s deeply ironic, in a way, that a bill intended to protect communities from harmful infrastructure is now in essence delaying New York’s own ability to cut traffic and improve transit," said Danny Pearlstein of the Riders Alliance. The lengthy review period is also being used to sell New Yorkers on the benefits of the tolling scheme — acting MTA chair Janno Lieber said the agency is planning "unprecedented levels of public outreach," with a slate of 20 public meetings set to begin in the coming weeks. Congestion pricing advocates worry that in addition to the umpteen groups seeking exemptions from the tolls, the plan could face added headwinds from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who [suggested last week]( that she'd continue to evaluate her previously stated support for the program. But Tom Wright, the president and chief executive officer of Regional Plan Association, said he expected the environmental review process to convince many of the doubters. "When people ask me what's the single most important thing we can do to prepare for climate change, I tell them congestion pricing," Wright said. "Because New York is the first city in America to do this, it's important we do it right." — [Reporting by Jake Offenhartz]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- De Blasio's Ferry System Expands To Staten Island, With Coney Island Route To Follow [Mayor Bill de Blasio on a ferry] NYC Mayor's Office/Flickr The latest NYC Ferry route, which opened Monday, carries riders from St. George Terminal in Staten Island to Battery Park City, and then up the Hudson River to the Midtown West Terminal at West 39th Street. The NYC Ferry's St. George line, which costs $2.75 a ride is operated by the city's Economic Development Corporation, is not to be confused with the Staten Island Ferry, which is free, operated by the Department of Transportation, and carries riders along a very similar route from St. George to lower Manhattan. Local officials praised the new ferry line as a game-changer for the borough, while noting that it fell short of the city's mass transit needs. "This is not a panacea, this is not a cure-all, and this doesn’t get us to mass transit equity," Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo said at the unveiling. Transportation experts have long warned that the heavy subsidies required to keep NYC Ferry rides at $2.75 is not tenable, particularly as the system continues to expand. In 2019, the ferries received [a subsidy]( of more than $10 per ride, or roughly ten times what the bus and subway system got. Nonetheless, city officials say they still intend to move forward with a second expansion to Coney Island later this year. The long-planned route, which will include stops at Wall Street, Bay Ridge, and Coney Island, has generated its own share of controversy, with several local leaders warning against building the ferry terminal in the [notoriously contaminated]( Coney Island Creek. — [Reporting by Jake Offenhartz]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's What Else Is Happening The subway system could see major service disruptions when the employee vaccination mandate goes into effect. As of now, at least 30% of MTA workers (and as many as 50%) have not yet received a single shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. When the vaccination mandate for state employees goes into effect on Labor Day, the transit system could see as many as 20,000 people suddenly not show up to work — and transit officials haven't revealed a plan for keeping full service going if that happens. ([NY Daily News]( A 30-year-old Brooklyn man has been charged with manslaughter for hitting and killing a 6-year-old girl with his Lexus. Qiuhua Zhu, a Sunset Park resident, was allegedly heading south in a northbound lane in Dyker Heights on Tuesday night when he made a left turn and ran over a 6-year-old, who was crossing the street in front of her house. After initially driving away, Zhu returned to the scene of the crash. He was also charged with criminally negligent homicide, failure to yield to a pedestrian, and vehicular assault. ([New York Post]( The head of the LIRR conductors' union is complaining that members are being attacked by riders for enforcing the railroad's mask mandate. Union boss Anthony Simon pointed to an August 13th incident, wherein a Montauk-bound passenger allegedly kicked and punched a conductor after a masking dispute, as the latest instance of rider-on-employee violence. The MTA, which controls the LIRR, countered that there have been no assaults on conductors over masking issues. This comes at the same time that many riders are complaining about transit cops and LIRR employees flouting the mask rules themselves. ([Newsday]( Frank Annicaro, an 18-year veteran in the MTA's bus operations division, has been named the acting chief for buses and paratransit. Annicaro, who's been part of the effort to get the city a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040, takes over the role from Craig Cipriano, who was named acting chief of New York City Transit after Sarah Feinberg stepped down last month. ([AM New York]( The Grand Central Oyster Bar is coming back. After a brief mid-pandemic reopening last September, the 108-year-old establishment immediately closed again due to a lack of business and foot traffic. But with ridership trickling back, the restaurant is planning to reopen at 100% capacity on September 7th, with all diners needing to show proof of vaccination. ([Gothamist]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- And Finally, I Hope This Rat's Not Allergic To Shellfish [a video of a rat with a crab on a subway track]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list