Hello to all. I hope everyone has been enjoying the Spring weather and that you’re excited for the summer months to arrive. The past month has been a busy one and I have a few topics I’d like to cover, so I’ll jump right into it.
The biggest news is undoubtedly related to congestion pricing. At the end of March, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) voted 11 to 1 to give their final approval to the plan to toll vehicles in Manhattan south of 60th Street. The MTA expects the plan to go into effect in June 2024, however, it still remains to be seen how the lawsuits that the plan is facing fare in court. I don’t believe that any of these lawsuits have merit, but New Jersey’s case is widely seen as the most serious challenge to the tolling program, and there is a small possibility that the suit could potentially block or upend the program at the last minute.
As some of you may know, New Jersey’s lawsuit essentially seeks a more comprehensive environmental study of the program, which would obviously delay its implementation. New York and Federal transit officials spent three years conducting 4,000-pages worth of analysis on the impact of the tolling program in the form of an environmental assessment but New Jersey claims that the environmental impact to them was not adequately studied. The Judge overseeing the case, Judge Leo Gordon, stated that he will try to render his ruling with time to spare before the program goes into effect in June. I think it is likely that the case will be dismissed and that congestion pricing will begin as planned.
Regarding the specifics, the MTA board ultimately voted to approve the recommendations from the Traffic Mobility Review Board, only adding an exemption to the toll for those with disabilities and for public and private organizations that transport those with disabilities. For specifics on the tolls and other facts regarding the program, please click here to access the MTA website: https://congestionreliefzone.mta.info/tolling.
After the MTA voted to approve congestion pricing, questions still remained about how the program will be implemented with regard to for-hire vehicles.
We have learned that it’s likely that the MTA will use trip sheet data, not the gantries or license plate readers that will be used for the general public, in order to confirm trips into the Central Business District (CBD) with passengers. It was also unclear whether drivers will be charged for entering the CBD without a passenger. It appears possible that drivers will not be charged any fee if they enter the CBD without a passenger. None of this is official yet so keep an eye out in my next column to see if there are any updates.
Moving onto other City news, last month, Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams announced a new joint multiagency task force aimed at cracking down on cars with forged, altered or obscured license plates, hoping to curb fare evasion and the vehicles’ use in crimes. As someone who drives for a living, I’m sure you’ve seen the rampant increase in the number of vehicles with these license plates in the time since the pandemic began. In fact, the MTA claims that they lost nearly $50 million in 2023 due to drivers using these fake or obscured plates. Enforcement on this issue is good for everyone else who follows the rules so we are glad to see action being taken on this issue.
In other enforcement news, the NYPD also recently announced that they confiscated over 1,600 illegal mopeds, motorcycles, ATVs and dirt bikes in a massive crackdown. These vehicles, particularly ATVs and dirt bikes, pose a serious threat to our quality of life and safety. These reckless folk are endangering not only themselves, but every other driver on the road. These problems are even worse when you consider that those riding these illegal or unregistered vehicles are not insured. I’m glad to see enforcement on this issue too. In a city where driving becomes more difficult on a daily basis, it’s refreshing to see action being taken that will ultimately make driving in New York City safer and more efficient.
Another issue that I want to put on your radar relates to the fiscal budget recently passed by Governor Hochul. Some of you may have heard of Sammy’s law, a proposed bill that is named after 12-year-old Sammy Eckstein who was killed in Brooklyn by a speeding car in 2013. This law seeks to allow New York City to lower its speed limit to 20 MPH from 25 MPH. While this law failed to pass through the legislature in previous years, it was actually included in the state budget this year and has been signed off by Governor Hochul.
That means that New York City now has the option to further reduce speed limits on city streets to 20 MPH. One exemption of note is that this would not apply to streets with three or more lanes in one direction, however this doesn’t affect the majority of the city. Knowing our politicians, it’s only a matter of time before the change is made and we all will have to drive even slower.
As I wrap up, I wanted to reiterate what I wrote about last month regarding the settlement reached between Uber, Lyft and the New York State Attorney General Letitia James. As I mentioned, beginning March 7th, Rust Consulting has been contacting drivers who qualify for settlement funds.
I urge you all once again to beware of any firm or individual who offers to help you with the claim. There are always those who will seek to take advantage when they can, and this situation is no different. Phone numbers, caller ID, and email addresses can be faked to appear to come from a legitimate source. Do not share your personal or financial information with anyone who contacts you pretending to help with your claim.
If you have any questions or doubts, contact Rust Consulting directly. For those who drove for Uber between 2014 and 2017, you can reach them at 1.800.625.2332 or info@UberNYAGSettlement.com. For those who drove for Lyft between 2014 and 2017, you can reach them at 1.800.433.5314 or info@LyftNYAGSettlement.com.
On a final note, The Black Car Fund held another Steering Towards Success Resource Fair at the end of April at our Driver Education Center. As you know, these events are meant to provide an opportunity for drivers and Member Bases to speak directly with The Fund, learn more about our Drivers Benefits program, and ask any questions that they may have about what we do.
Once again, we had a great turnout and many drivers went home with exclusive giveaways and raffle prizes. Our partners at Drivers Benefits were on the scene with the BCF Vision Van, helping drivers learn about and get access to the many health and wellness benefits we offer. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was also on site, providing no cost health screenings and connecting drivers with additional health resources. We were also joined by the Taxi & Limousine Commission’s outreach unit who were on hand to speak with drivers about any TLC related issues they are having. Also, a big thank you is owed to the Independent Drivers Guild for helping to spread the word about this event and bringing over drivers!
These events are only going to continue to grow better. Our next one is scheduled for the end of the summer, so keep an eye out for when we formally announce it! Until next time!
