The six-member board charged with determining the price of driving downtown under the Manhattan congestion pricing plan will hold its first public meeting this month, the MTA said Friday.
The Traffic Mobility Review Board will meet Wednesday, July 19 at 4 p.m. at MTA headquarters at 2 Broadway in lower Manhattan.
The board’s recommendations will form the basis of the MTA’s decision on what drivers will have to pay to enter Manhattan at 60th street or below once congestion pricing goes into effect next spring.
MTA officials have said the price will range from $9 to $23, varying by time of day and type of vehicle. The agency’s aim is to raise $1 billion annually toward its capital budget.
The meeting is open to the public, but attendees will not have an opportunity to address the board, the MTA said in a statement. The meeting will also be livestreamed.
In filings with the federal government, the MTA has committed to several small discounts, including at least 50% off for drivers traveling between midnight and 4 a.m., and a 25% discount for drivers making under $50,000 — after they’ve already made 10 full-price trips within a calendar month.
But the base price of driving in Manhattan has yet to be determined, and different groups of drivers are demanding additional discounts.
For-hire vehicle drivers are asking to be exempted from the congestion toll entirely.
Taxi drivers rallied outside the Manhattan office of Gov. Hochul last month, calling on her to also omit yellow cabs from congestion pricing.
Taxi rides already subsidize MTA operations with two surcharges — a 50-cent-per-ride fee instituted in 2009, and a congestion surcharge of $2.50 on all rides that pass through Manhattan below 97th street.
Uber and Lyft drivers have asked that the MTA abandon its plan to charge for-hire cars once per day, and instead add a per-ride surcharge that can be more easily passed on to their passengers.
New Jersey commuters also want discounts. Garden State elected officials…
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