Public Comment Period for Congestion Pricing Plan Extended through September 23

Rockland Daily Staff

Recognizing the significant public interest in the Central Business District Tolling Program’s Environmental Assessment, and in response to requests, the Environmental Assessment’s public comment period, as reported HERE by Rockland Daily, will remain open an additional 14 days and close on Friday, September 23, 2022, instead of Friday, September 9, as previously announced.

Among the thousands expressing their concern over the plan were twenty of Rockland’s elected officials who attached their signatures to the letter sent to the MTA’s board of directors expressing concern and opposition to the upcoming Congestion Pricing Plan. 

The letter in support of Rockland residents stated that unlike communities east of the Hudson with nearly 45 train stations, Rockland County has only five stations, none of which go directly into Manhattan. The letter went on to say that Congestion pricing “amounts to an unfair tax to subsidize a transit system that does not equitably serve our community.”

The letter also stated, “For the past decade, we were forced to subsidize mass transit for the rest of our region as we contributed millions of dollars annually - far more than the MTA invests into our County. The complete disregard of the residents who live West of the Hudson has been evident in every step of the congestion pricing plan as we don’t even have a voice at the table when decisions are made on these matters.”

The letter concluded with a request that Rockland County residents be exempt from congestion pricing as long as there is no viable one-seat ride option into Manhattan.