Senate Bill S8952

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8952

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the tax law, in relation to exempting residents of lower
Manhattan and Staten Island from congestion surcharge pricing

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation intent is to exempt Lower Manhattan and Staten Island
residents from being assessed Congestion Pricing tolls.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Section 1299-a of the tax law is amended by adding a new
subdivision (e) to read as follows: (e) Notwithstanding any provision of
law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the surcharge imposed by this
article shall not apply to any for-hire transportation trip for a
passenger that resides in the congestion zone or in the borough of
Staten Island. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
              

and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Congestion pricing refers to the use of electronic tolling to charge
vehicles for entering certain areas during peak commuting hours, ideally
resulting in reduced traffic congestion and increased revenue for tran-
sit-oriented projects. Staten Island being an island where access to a
from the borough is via bridges, one being the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge
where its current levy is already the priciest in the nation. Lower
Manhattan residents who are small business owners are struggling to keep
their businesses open due to rent increases, cannot afford to pay anoth-
er toll in order to access different parts of New York City. Under this
bill, personal cars, motorcycles, taxis, for-hire vehicles and commer-
cial vans of Staten Island and Lower Manhattan residents would be exempt
from the Congestion Pricing Toll.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.