Hello to all! I hope everyone is enjoying summer. It didn’t take long for our first heatwave, as the end of June was brutal. June was also a remarkable month as far as news goes. As you have undoubtedly heard, the Central Business District Tolling Program, or congestion pricing as we’ve come to call it, was put on an indefinite pause by Governor Kathy Hochul. There’s a lot to unpack here, so I’ll jump right into it.
It looked like congestion pricing was a done deal, and we were all expecting it to begin on June 30th. The news that Governor Hochul had directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to indefinitely halt the program was truly stunning.
To justify the decision, Governor Hochul pointed to concerns that the plan would negatively impact the city’s economic recovery and burden working and middle-class families. However, there’s no denying that congestion pricing just wasn’t popular among New Yorkers, especially those outside of the city.
The decision was very polarizing, with reactions either applauding or condemning the governor. Those who opposed congestion pricing were pleased, although many were disappointed when, in late June, a federal judge dismissed a key argument behind a few of the lawsuits that congestion pricing had been facing. Those who brought the lawsuit had claimed that transportation officials had allowed congestion pricing to move forward without a comprehensive environmental review and without detailing what would be done to lessen the negative effects of the plan in poor and minority communities.
The judge however disagreed, ruling that officials had given “careful consideration” to congestion pricing based on a “painstaking examination” of its environmental impacts. Congestion pricing is only paused, and by no means dead, so this decision is a significant loss to any momentum that these lawsuits may have had.
On the flip side, the governor’s decision was also gravely upsetting to many, and it wasn’t long before they took action. In mid-June, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander announced that he was joining transit and environmental activists to consider a flurry of Article 78 lawsuits aimed at saving congestion pricing by arguing that the governor’s decision to halt the plan was illegal.
Right now, we truly are in limbo with congestion pricing, and limbo is an uncomfortable place to be. At the end of the day, the MTA needs this money and Governor Hochul has been scrambling to figure out how to make up the funding shortfall. The MTA has already announced that it is pausing a number of projects and planned upgrades in light of the pause, and the longer the pause lasts, the more urgent finding a solution will become. We will continue closely monitoring this situation.
Moving onto other congestion related news, JFK Airport recently announced plans to change its pick-up procedures at Delta’s Terminal 4 in anticipation of the traffic that increased travel will cause this summer. They are expecting 800,000 more travelers this summer, compared to last summer and projections indicate that with no changes, the roads in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) will be over capacity by as much as 25%. The problem really begins with the outbound lanes leaving the airport to the Belt Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway. Choke points here cause traffic to back up into the terminals and then eventually to the entrance lanes.
The Port Authority is planning on several changes. They recently opened up a free drop-off, pickup and waiting lot at the AirTrain station at Lefferts Boulevard to help people avoid the central terminal area entirely. They are also changing the pick-up procedures at Terminal 4 significantly. Most For-hire vehicles, with the exception of Uber and Lyft’s premium services like Uber Black, will be picking up passengers at a remote lot. Passengers arriving at terminal 4 will need to board a shuttle bus that will bring them to the remote lot.
The curb closest to the terminal will be used for these shuttle buses and the Port Authority estimates that the trip will take about 15 minutes, something passengers will certainly not be happy about. What I’m unhappy about, however, is that privately owned vehicles and yellow taxis will still have curb access at Terminal 4, while FHVs are being relocated. This does not protect parity between the industries and is ultimately giving one group an advantage over the other. Keep an eye out for an official announcement from the Port Authority on the changes. It is also expected that these changes will only be in effect from 12:00pm to 2:00am, but details are not final.
Another bit of news I want everyone to be aware of is that beginning at the end of June, drivers who block a bus stop will be in danger of being ticketed automatically by cameras mounted on city buses. As you may know, around 600 buses throughout the city already have cameras, which were used to automatically issue tickets to private vehicles in bus-only lanes. However, now these cameras will be able to ticket drivers blocking ANY bus stop, not just ones with a dedicated bus lane.
By the end of the year, another 1,000 buses on 32 different routes will be equipped with cameras. The violations will be $50, unless a driver is caught five or more times within a 12-month period, at which point the fine becomes $250.
As I wrap up, I wanted to tell you all that The Black Car Fund is again proud to be one of the sponsors of the Independent Drivers Guild’s Annual Driver Appreciation Day. This year, it is scheduled for Saturday, July 20th, and is poised to once again bring together thousands of drivers and their families for a day of fun and food!
The event will take place at the same location as the last two years, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and will run from 11:00am to 5:00pm. We hope to see you all there! IDG has put together an RSVP form as well, which we are happy to share with you. https://driversguild.org/idg-dad-2024-rsvp/
Lastly, The Black Car Fund recently hit an incredible milestone. We are excited to announce it with IDG at their Driver Appreciation Day!
Until next time!
