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New york city transit firm votes to forever halt Manhattan blockage rates

A New York transit firm voted on Wednesday to forever halt congestion pricing in Manhattan that was set to start on June 30 after the state's guv directed the action.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to halt the program and is now considering sweeping cuts to capital jobs.

New York City State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli stated in a report on Tuesday that an estimated $17 billion will require to be removed from the existing $55.4 billion transit capital strategy to address the loss of congestion rates earnings.

The MTA has actually currently canceled contracts and halted work on one crucial train expansion task and has said it could put federal grant funding at threat.

Before voting, MTA board members were told that $16.5. billion in capital projects would have to be delayed, including. major expansion tasks such as extending the Second Avenue. Train, and upgrading aging signal systems and train cars.

Guv Kathy Hochul mentioned high inflation and a desire to. prevent commuters or travelers from deciding not to check out because. of the additional charge in her decision to halt implementation.

New york city City's congestion pricing program, the very first of its. kind in the U.S., would have charged a toll of $15 throughout. daytime hours for cars driving in Manhattan south of 60th. Street. London implemented a comparable charge in 2003.

MTA has stated the charge would cut traffic by 17%, enhance. air quality and boost mass transit usage by 1% to 2%, also. as producing $1 billion to $1.5 billion a year and supporting. $ 15 billion in debt financing for public transportation improvement.

In 2019, state lawmakers authorized the strategy to assist fund. enhancements in public transportation utilizing tolls to manage New York. City's traffic, the most overloaded of any U.S. city.

Congestion pricing had been forecasted to begin in 2021 but. the federal government under President Donald Trump took no. action.

New york city states more than 900,000 automobiles enter the Manhattan. Central Downtown daily, which decreases travel speeds to. around 7 miles per hour usually.

(source: Reuters)