The program took another step forward as the board approved a proposed pricing scheme, but lawsuits still stand in the way of full implementation.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board voted to approve rates for the city’s congestion pricing program, setting the stage for the first such program in the country. “Revenues from the congestion pricing program are expected to allow the transit agency to secure about $15 billion in bonds to support its capital investment program.”
As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, “Under the plan approved today, passenger vehicles and small commercial vehicles using an E-ZPass tag will be charged $15 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. At night, the fee will drop to $3.75. Vehicles will only be charged once per day, and those without an E-ZPass tag will face tolls that are about 50% higher.”
Funding from the program is considered essential to making MTA subway stations more accessible and improving transit service in the city. “Revenues from the congestion pricing program are expected to allow the transit agency to secure about $15 billion in bonds to support its capital investment program.”
Zukowski points out that the MTA still needs to resolve multiple lawsuits before the program can go forward.
FULL STORY: New York transit leaders approve nation’s first congestion pricing program

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Nevada Bills Aim to Establish Home Insurance Assurance Amidst Wildfire Risk
Republican sponsor hopes the FAIR plan would be “a true market of last resort.”

Virginia Law Allows Judges to Mandate Speed Limiters
The law could set a new precedent for speed limiting tech on U.S. vehicles.

Comment: EPA Cuts will Send Atlanta Back to Eye-burning Ozone, Lung-damaging Smog, and Raw Sewage in the Chattahoochee River
A veteran political journalist takes stock of the hard-earned ground Georgia stands to lose with slashed environmental protection.
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