Comments May be Submitted Online, by Email, Mail, Phone and Fax
MTA Bridges and Tunnels (MTA B&T), the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) today reminded the public that the comment period for the proposed congestion pricing program, known formally as the Central Business District Tolling Program, will close in one week on Sept. 9, following the conclusion of six virtual public hearings that took place between Aug. 25 and Aug.31.
On Aug. 10, the project sponsors began accepting public comments with the release of the Environmental Assessment (EA) online. The document evaluates the effects of the program compared with taking no action. The document finds that central business district tolling would accomplish the goal of New York State’s MTA Reform and Traffic Mobility Act of reducing traffic congestion in the Manhattan Central Business District (CBD) and raising revenue for investment in transit. The EA was made available in more than 60 locations throughout the New York City metropolitan region
Ways to Comment on the Environmental Assessment
Comments may be submitted online, by email, mail, phone and fax. Comments received between Aug. 10 and Sept. 9 will be considered and become part of the administrative record.
Online: mta.info/CBDTP
Email: CBDTP@mtabt.org
Mail: CBD Tolling Program, 2 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10004
Phone: 646-252-7440
Fax: Send to (212) 504-3148 with Attention to CBDTP Team.
Comments may also be provided directly to the FHWA.
Email: CBDTP@dot.gov
Mail: FHWA - NY Division, RE: CBDTP, Leo W. O'Brien Federal Building, 11A Clinton Ave, Suite 719, Albany, NY 12207
For more information on the program, the public can visit the project webpage mta.info/CBDTP, where informational material, available in multiple languages, is listed, including recordings of the livestreamed public hearings and fact sheets. The Environmental Assessment, offered in eight different languages, presents a detailed analysis of the effects of the seven different tolling scenarios under the Central Business District Tolling Alternative and their respective approximate assumed toll rates.
Next Steps
Following the public review period, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will determine whether establishment of the program would result in significant effects in addition to the widespread benefits detailed in the assessment. The FHWA will issue one of two documents responding to the environmental assessment: either a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), establishing that any adverse effects are not significant or can be mitigated below significant level, or, if determined that there are significant effects that cannot be mitigated, a request for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) requiring further study of the proposed program.
If the FHWA approves the project, contractors would have up to 310 days to design, develop and implement the tolling infrastructure and tolling system technology that would process the tolls.