A group of truck drivers sued New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in federal court on Thursday, May 30, claiming its congestion toll unjustly charges greater costs to trucks and logistics than passenger cars, as announced in a social media post.
In March, a congestion tax scheme was proposed that would have charged $24 or $36 for trucks, $15 for private passenger vehicles, and cheaper charges for motorbikes and late-night entries into the city.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York this morning, argues that the congestion pricing policy unfairly targets trucking and logistics companies, which are charged far higher rates than passenger vehicles.
— Trucking Association of New York (@TruckingAssocNY) May 30, 2024
Trucking Group Wants to Overturn, Improve New York's Congestion Tax Scheme
According to Fox Business, the Trucking Association of New York (TANY) said in a statement that it is not necessarily against congestion pricing in principle. Rather, it is working to revoke the March proposal and revise it so that it has fewer negative effects and brings logistics companies on equal footing.
The group urges the transportation authorities to reconsider its original proposal to charge businesses a fee, toll trucks just once daily, or charge the same amount as cars traveling on public roads.
The scheme is set to commence on June 30. TANY is only one of eight groups that have filed lawsuits to prevent its implementation. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, the United Federation of Teachers, small businesses and residents in lower Manhattan, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy have all filed similar lawsuits.
Organization Advocating for Congestion Pricing Justifies the Scheme
In a report by the New York Post, the pro-transit Congestion Pricing Now alliance said that TANY's complaint disregards the fact that trucks cause more pollution and road congestion than cars. It added that trucks sometimes have higher tolls due to their infrastructural and environmental expenses.
The association also pointed out that trucks would pay substantially less with subsidized tolls during off-peak deliveries, just like regular motorists.
Both New York Governor Kathy Hochul and previous Governor Andrew Cuomo have advocated for congestion pricing in the state. Hochul has pushed for the toll to reduce pollution and traffic in Midtown, while Cuomo and the Democrat-controlled legislature pushed for the state legislation in 2019.
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