Correction: The people who run E-ZPass tell us that we (and apparently Transportation Commissioner JanetteSadik-Khan) are wrong about E-ZPass requirements. They say customers can use cash to get an E-ZPass at one of three walk-in centers in Queens, Staten Island and Yonkers. For more information, they advise going to “Frequently Asked Questions” on the MTA Website, visit E-ZPass, or call 1-800-333-TOLL (8655). This item now reflects that correction.
(More from the City Council’s hearing on congestion pricing.)
While experts debate how much a congestion fee would cut traffic and air pollution, one thing does seem certain: It will boost EZ-Pass usage. Under the plan, users of the pass pay a congestion fee of $8, while those without the electronic passes would pay $9. And while the E-ZPpass users have the fee deducted from the money in their account, those without the passes will have to figure out how to pay — and pay quickly The bill carries a $65 fine for anyone who does not pay a congestion charge within 48 hours of incurring it.
For now it’s not clear where or how they would pay the fee, though Rit Aggarwala of the mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning said the city will “set up a wide spread of opportunities,” including Internet payment, telephones payments and locations in existing stores.
The city wants pepole to get E-ZPasses. But whatever the merits of the E-ZPass, the preferential treatment given those who have them raises concerns about equity since occasional and low-income drivers may be less likely to have the electronic tags than more affluent drivers.
This worries a congestion pricing advocate who asked to remain anonymous. While opponents of congestion pricing have often charged the tax is another burden on the poor, proponents tend to dismiss this, arguing thatnot very many poor people can afford a car, gas and Manhattan parking fees. But the advocate said, “This $9 charge is the first time that people who said they are concerned about the impact on lower-income drivers of New York have an arguments on the merits because people who do not have an E-ZPass will pay an extra $1.
And given the confusion about whether to pay that extra dollar, many will probably rack up a lot of these $65 fees as well.
(For more on congestion pricing see Gotham Gazette’s “Breaking the Gridlock on Congestion Pricing” and The Council and Congestion Pricing:Part II.)
By Gail Robinson on March 24, 2008, 9:06 pm
In category: Environment, Finance, Transportation
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