New York’s sprawling, heavily used subway system badly needs funds for maintenance and upgrades (Don EMMERT)

New York (AFP) – After years of delay, New York state lawmakers on Monday approved charging a toll for drivers heading into downtown Manhattan with the goal of relieving traffic congestion and raising funds for the city’s subway system — a first for a US city.

The toll, similar to measures taken in London, Stockholm and Singapore, will begin at the latest by December 31, 2021, according to a measure approved by the New York State Assembly in Albany.

Nearly all vehicles transiting below 60th Street in Manhattan will need to pay a toll, according to the measure, although some practical details still need to be ironed out.

A panel of experts must now decide the exact amount to be paid. Estimates are that passenger vehicles will pay at least $12 a day, while trucks will pay $25.

The measure, supported by the state’s Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo — reelected to office in November — has been praised by environmental advocates but denounced as unfair in nearby New Jersey and neighborhoods around Manhattan like Queens.

Drivers say the toll will especially hit workers that live in areas far from public transportation and who rely on their cars to drive to and from work.

Many of the bridges and tunnels leading to the island of Manhattan already charge tolls. The new toll would be on top of those fees.

In a country that has long favored cars over public transportation, and in a metropolis like New York where the use of on-demand ride share services like Uber and Lyft has exploded, the goal to raise money for the subway system appears unusual.

It could serve as a model for other cities with heavy traffic congestion like San Francisco or Los Angeles.

The legislation specifies that the toll money must be directed mainly towards upgrades of the New York subway system, and aims to raise $15 billion over an unspecified period of time.

In recent years the city subway has suffered an embarrassing number of delays and accidents, the price of years of neglect and a failure to properly invest in upgrades.

The measure should also help New York reach its official goal of an 80 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Other measures dear to environmentalists approved  in the state’s $175 billion budget — the first passed since Democrats took control of both houses of the state legislature in January — include a ban on onetime-use plastic shopping bags, to take effect in March 2020.

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.