The MTA’s controversial congestion pricing plan for New York City officially has a start date, that despite several lawsuits aiming to stop it, including one filed by Rockland County. MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber told WABC’s Eyewitness News on Friday the plan will start just after the stroke of midnight, Sunday, June 30th. Al Samuels, the CEO of the Rockland Business Association, says congestion pricing could work in the favor of west-of-Hudson suburbs such as Rockland. Samuels says the exorbitantly high fees could cause more companies, particularly those in the bioscience and high-tech industries, to flee the city and make roots in here in our area…
County Executive Ed Day says Rockland’s highly skilled workforce could be attractive to many companies currently located south of 60th street in Manhattan…
Cars will be hit with a $15 toll when they drive below 60th Street in the so-called Congestion Relief Zone during peak hours. Officials expect 100,000 fewer vehicles to enter the zone every day, creating less traffic, cleaner air. Leiber told WABC News they’re not waiting for the lawsuits to be resolved, saying, quote, “We really don’t have the luxury of just kicking the can and waiting for judges.”