Delays are common for the MTA, even for its board meetings

Plus: Civil servants not exempt from $15 congestion pricing toll. [On The Way - from WNYC and Gothamist] Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( The MTA can’t even run its monthly board meeting on time By [Stephen Nessen]( and [Clayton Guse]( Congestion pricing has taken a big step toward becoming reality. But appropriately enough, the first-in-the-nation tolling scheme will be considered by the MTA board one calendar month later than expected. The board will vote on the proposed tolling scheme — which [centers on a $15 toll]( for cars most hours of the day — at its November meeting on Dec. 6. Eagle-eyed readers may notice that date is not, in fact, in November. The delay is unusual – and a reflection of how carefully the MTA is treading when it comes to congestion pricing. The agency’s [Traffic Mobility Review Board]( which is recommending the toll structure, deliberated for months, pushing back the board meeting, according to sources who weren’t authorized to discuss internal discussions. With the exception of every August, when the board typically takes a break, and Oct. 2012, when [Hurricane Sandy]( hit, the agency has held a board meeting each calendar month since at least September 2009, according to the MTA’s online records. An MTA spokesperson said this month’s scheduling oddity was caused by the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and board members’ personal schedules. But congestion pricing represents one of the most ambitious initiatives in recent MTA history. The delayed board meeting fits a pattern that’s been in place since 2019, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the program into law. MTA officials blamed the Trump administration for slow walking the federal approval for congestion pricing. They later said the Federal Highway Administration under President Joe Biden required an extensive review process that further delayed its launch. There have been so many delays MTA officials said they’re starting to calculate the cost if the program doesn’t go into effect this spring, as it had planned. On top of that, lawsuits brought by [New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy]( and the [Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich]( could also delay the program. As the MTA prepares to finally approve the program at its November-in-December gathering next week, one thing is clear: Much likes its trains and buses, the MTA can’t even run its own board meetings on time. What New York is reading this week Kena Betancur/VIEWpress [Civil servants – including NYPD and MTA employees – not exempt from $15 congestion pricing toll]( - NYPD officers, firefighters, teachers and other civil servants won't be exempt from paying congestion pricing’s $15 base fare just like all other drivers. [Read more.]( - The MTA had to halt all non-essential track work yesterday after a subway worker was dragged and killed by a train. [Read more.]( - A judge ruled pro-driver activist Raul Rivera must stay away from NYC Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez after Rivera told him he was “selling out the city,” and called him “a disgrace” as well as a “gentrifier” during a press conference last week. [Read more.]( - More landlords and management companies are banning e-bikes from apartments and bike rooms after an increase in lithium battery-sparked fires this year which has now left tenants wondering where to store them. [Read more.]( - New York’s highest court ruled that cyclists have the same rights as drivers when stopped by the police. [Read more.]( - The Port Authority deployed a new method to deter fare beaters at PATH stations: a robot voice that warns of a “violation.” [Read more.]( - A new study shows New York is the worst city in the country to drive in, with the average resident spending 236 hours in traffic per year. No surprise there. ([Time Out]( - The NYPD says they’ve already stopped four subway surfers, including a 12-year-old, using a new drone system. ([Daily News]( - The MTA is expanding its number of bus lane enforcement cameras which tickets cars that are double parked or blocking bus lanes. ([Streetsblog]( Curious commuter Why do some bus drivers insist on having the windows at the back of the bus open on the coldest days but don’t seem to care on the hottest days? What Clayton says: Sounds like your issue is with your fellow passengers. Bus operators are not instructed to open their windows, but much of the time riders will crack them open when they want to let in a breeze — or let out an odor. In 2020, the MTA directed drivers to open the windows on buses to improve airflow during the peak of the pandemic, but that directive has since expired. Have a question? [@Gothamist's Instagram]( gives followers for special opportunities and prompts to submit questions. If you're not on Instagram, email [cguse@wnyc.org](mailto:cguse@wnyc.org ?subject=Curious%20Commuter) or [snessen@wnyc.org](mailto:snessen@wnyc.org?subject=Curious%20Commuter) with the subject line "Curious Commuter question." Don’t forget... - Through the first quarter of 2024 the M train will not travel above 57th street, and the F train will run on the E line between Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave. These changes to the F line means there's no subway service at Roosevelt Island, but the MTA is providing shuttle buses instead. More details [here](. - Every borough currently has one free bus route. [Find yours](. - The New York Public Library's "electrifying" rare subway photos exhibit is on display through Jan. 7. [Details here.]( This week in NYC transit history Bettmann/Getty Images Dick Ravitch wants a whole lot of money New York City’s subways were a disaster in 1980. On Nov. 25, MTA Chair Dick Ravitch told the Daily News the agency would need $14 billion — or about $50 billion in today’s money — over the following decade to “restore the system to a state of good repair.” The next year he successfully pushed legislation that allowed the MTA to take on $2.5 billion of debt, which helped fund a $7.8 billion, five-year capital plan that’s since been credited with saving the subway. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [YouTube]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 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