Latest news with #CentralBusinessDistrictTollingProgram
Time of India
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
BEST's contract buses a ‘flop', but system a success globally
Mumbai: A comparison of BEST buses with bus systems globally reveals several potential lessons from successful bus operations in other world cities. Activists say that the wet-lease system of hiring buses from contractors is a 'complete failure' in the city. Globally, however, such systems have seen notable success, leading to increased service efficiency. London, for instance, introduced the wet-lease model in 1985 to tackle financial challenges in publicly owned entities. This facilitated reliable, high-quality bus services and proved equally effective during London's transition to electric buses. Also, Mexico City, Santiago, Shenzhen (world's first fully electric bus fleet) and Bogotaadopted the wet-lease model for e-bus operations. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Rishi Agarwal, director of Mumbai Sustainability Centre, observed that the wet-leasing model's effectiveness abroad—especially in London—relies on well-designed, strictly enforced contracts. "Fares provide almost 60-80% of recovery of costs, there are third party audits to monitor bus quality and operational parameters. If it can be done in London it can be done here. It takes less than a month to design high quality contracts and implement them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Knee pain prices might surprise you Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo Why are the decision makers not showing intent is the question to ask." New York City's bus system has taken several measures, including dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority, and bus network redesigns to improve operations and attract ridership, with an aim for a fully zero-emission fleet by 2040. The Select Bus Service (SBS) in New York achieved travel time improvements and increased ridership by prioritising buses through dedicated lanes and signal adjustments, with studies showing 10-20% improvement in journey time. Transport analyst Ashok Datar from Mumbai Mobility Forum said BEST should emulate the New York model. He said that with a larger fleet, 140 to 150 buses per hour could operate on dedicated bus lanes on busy stretches like Western Express highway, increasing number of buses on that arterial route to nearly three times the current operation and providing bus every five minutes. London and New York have seen significant traffic and transit improvement after introduction of congestion pricing. Central Business District Tolling Program (congestion pricing) in New York, implemented from Jan 2025, resulted in almost all Manhattan buses achieving up to a 5% speed increase, especially benefiting express bus riders with time savings up to 10 minutes, say global media reports. State authorities are also identifying areas in Mumbai, like Bandra-Kurla complex, Nariman Point, Worli and Lower Parel for potential congestion tax implementation, a senior official from the transport commissioner's office told TOI. "After a regulatory framework is established, the authorities may levy a fee for vehicles to enter these busy hubs during peak hours, similar to congestion pricing in London and New York," the official said, adding that public transport buses would be prioritised for commuters. Sudhir Badami, author of 'Matter of Equitability — Making commuting in Mumbai enviable', has advocated for premium Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on the scale of Transmilenio in Bogota. Badami says having BRTS on metro corridors could have displaced 65% of private traffic and delivered buses in central lanes at a frequency as low as every 20 seconds. He said such measures would not only enhance frequency and commuter convenience but also improve safety due to negligible accident risk. Public policy (transportation) analyst Paresh Rawal said funding public transport with local property taxes is an established practice in many global cities. Avinash Dubedi, Program Head – Transport, Sustainable Cities, WRI India, said consistent support by BMC/state govt is vital for BEST to bridge the viability gap between operating costs and earnings, focus on enhancing bus accessibility in line with service benchmarks of up to 60 buses per lakh population.
Voice of America
27-02-2025
- Business
- Voice of America
NYC resists federal call to stop its tolls to prevent traffic congestion
The Trump administration wants New York City to end its congesting pricing, an automatic toll program designed to reduce the bumper-to-bumper traffic in the city's business area from 60th Street and below. But New York's governor is fighting back. In a letter dated Feb. 20 and made public Wednesday, Gloria Shepherd, executive director of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), informed New York City and state transportation officials that FHWA officials would contact them "to discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations" under the Central Business District Tolling Program. Shepherd said termination of the program should be effective March 21. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transit Authority have filed a lawsuit to prevent ending the toll operation that the federal authorities approved and that has yielded millions of dollars for New York City since it began in January. Hochul told a recent MTA board meeting that while the federal government has called for an "orderly cessation" of the program, she is proposing "orderly resistance." "I guarantee that the president has never had to endure missing a child's sporting event because they were stuck on a delayed train. Never had to stand in a flooded subway station because we were not able to make the repairs. Not sitting in traffic, missing an important meeting because you couldn't get around," Hochul told the MTA board. The congestion pricing program began Jan. 5. The revenue from the tolls from Jan. 5 to Jan. 31 totaled $48.66 million, with a net of $37.5 million. The toll program is on track to generate about $500 million for the MTA by year's end, MTA CEO Janno Lieber said, allowing the authority to progress with its plans for bus, subway and transit improvements. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration sets deadline for NYC to shut down controversial congestion pricing toll
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a letter ordering New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to eliminate its controversial congestion pricing tolls by mid-March. The letter, dated and signed by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Executive Director Gloria Shepherd on Feb. 20 and released Wednesday, notes that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and its project sponsors "must cease" the collection of tolls on Federal-aid highways in New York's Central Business District Tolling Program by March 21. It noted the program's implementation was initially approved by the FHWA prior to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy sending a letter on Feb. 19 terminating the program. Shepherd called for agencies and project sponsors to "terminate operations" in an "orderly manner," according to the letter. Trump Admin Moves To Block Nyc Congestion Toll Program Last week, the Trump administration issued a federal order halting the program, which began Jan. 5 and aimed to limit traffic and fund mass transit by adding a $9 toll on "most" vehicles entering Manhattan's core south of Central Park. Read On The Fox News App Despite Trump's action, the tolls have continued due to a federal lawsuit filed by the MTA, a state agency that runs public transit in New York City. "Our position is clear: this is not a lawful order. We have already filed a lawsuit and now it's up to the courts to decide," John J. McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, wrote in a statement on Wednesday. Critics say the tolling negatively impacts suburban commuters or those without access to the subway system, causing increased costs for working-class Americans and small business owners. The "cordon pricing" method of tolling means drivers are required to pay a toll regardless of which roads they use, as there are no toll-free options. Hochul Spurs Bipartisan Outrage Over Massive Toll Reboot As Dems Worry Trump Will Block It Advocates argue the fees will limit traffic congestion and reduce air pollution. The MTA on Monday announced tolls from the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) generated $48.66 million in revenue, with a net of $37.5 million, from Jan. 5 to Jan. 31. The figures show the program is on track to generate the $500 million that the MTA initially projected. "We are on track for the projected $500 million in net revenue, especially as we get into warmer months when traffic will increase which provides confidence in the forecast," said MTA co-chief financial officer Jai Patel. "All indicators show the program is reducing traffic but also projecting the revenue to be on target for what we had in 4,000 pages of studies and what we were looking at in the fall." Of the nearly $50 million generated from the program's start in January, 22% came from taxis and for-hire vehicles ($10.6 million), 68% came from passenger vehicles, 9% came from trucks, and 1% came from buses and motorcycles, according to the MTA. About 85% of non-taxi and for-hire vehicles revenue was generated from passenger vehicles, and 15% was generated from trucks, buses, and motorcycles, the agency reported. And 95% of revenue was generated during peaking tolling hours. Expenses from the program, which include operating camera infrastructure and customer service, amounted to $9.1 million. Factoring in another $2 million for mitigation efforts, the results were a net surplus of $37.5 million. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a proponent of the program, met with Trump to discuss the issue. The Democrat claimed the city is "paralyzed with gridlock," and the program could "make the city move again." "The people in my state need to know I'm willing to take the fight wherever I have to," Hochul said. As the situation unfolds, Hochul said she expects the state's case to be won in court and the program will continue. The Federal Highway Administration and NYSDOT entered into an agreement on Nov. 21, 2024, approving the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) under the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP). Click To Get The Fox News App The VPPP, which was approved by Congress in 1991, is an exception to the general rule outlawing tolling on highways as a pilot to test congestion reduction techniques. New York is one of about a dozen states allowed to implement the program. Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace, Charles Creitz and Stephen Sorace contributed to this article source: Trump administration sets deadline for NYC to shut down controversial congestion pricing toll
Fox News
26-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump administration sets deadline for NYC to shut down controversial congestion pricing toll
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a letter ordering New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to eliminate its controversial congestion pricing tolls by mid-March. The letter, dated and signed by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Executive Director Gloria Shepherd on Feb. 20 and released Wednesday, notes that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and its project sponsors "must cease" the collection of tolls on Federal-aid highways in New York's Central Business District Tolling Program by March 21. It noted the program's implementation was initially approved by the FHWA prior to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy sending a letter on Feb. 19 terminating the program. Shepherd called for agencies and project sponsors to "terminate operations" in an "orderly manner," according to the letter. Last week, the Trump administration issued a federal order halting the program, which began Jan. 5 and aimed to limit traffic and fund mass transit by adding a $9 toll on "most" vehicles entering Manhattan's core south of Central Park. Despite Trump's action, the tolls have continued due to a federal lawsuit filed by the MTA, a state agency that runs public transit in New York City. "Our position is clear: this is not a lawful order. We have already filed a lawsuit and now it's up to the courts to decide," John J. McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, wrote in a statement on Wednesday. Critics say the tolling negatively impacts suburban commuters or those without access to the subway system, causing increased costs for working-class Americans and small business owners. The "cordon pricing" method of tolling means drivers are required to pay a toll regardless of which roads they use, as there are no toll-free options. Advocates argue the fees will limit traffic congestion and reduce air pollution. The MTA on Monday announced tolls from the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) generated $48.66 million in revenue, with a net of $37.5 million, from Jan. 5 to Jan. 31. The figures show the program is on track to generate the $500 million that the MTA initially projected. "We are on track for the projected $500 million in net revenue, especially as we get into warmer months when traffic will increase which provides confidence in the forecast," said MTA co-chief financial officer Jai Patel. "All indicators show the program is reducing traffic but also projecting the revenue to be on target for what we had in 4,000 pages of studies and what we were looking at in the fall." Of the nearly $50 million generated from the program's start in January, 22% came from taxis and for-hire vehicles ($10.6 million), 68% came from passenger vehicles, 9% came from trucks, and 1% came from buses and motorcycles, according to the MTA. About 85% of non-taxi and for-hire vehicles revenue was generated from passenger vehicles, and 15% was generated from trucks, buses, and motorcycles, the agency reported. And 95% of revenue was generated during peaking tolling hours. Expenses from the program, which include operating camera infrastructure and customer service, amounted to $9.1 million. Factoring in another $2 million for mitigation efforts, the results were a net surplus of $37.5 million. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a proponent of the program, met with Trump to discuss the issue. The Democrat claimed the city is "paralyzed with gridlock," and the program could "make the city move again." "The people in my state need to know I'm willing to take the fight wherever I have to," Hochul said. As the situation unfolds, Hochul said she expects the state's case to be won in court and the program will continue. The Federal Highway Administration and NYSDOT entered into an agreement on Nov. 21, 2024, approving the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) under the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP). The VPPP, which was approved by Congress in 1991, is an exception to the general rule outlawing tolling on highways as a pilot to test congestion reduction techniques. New York is one of about a dozen states allowed to implement the program.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Trump administration moves to nix New York City's congestion pricing program
Hear this story The Trump administration on Wednesday moved to end the polarizing congestion pricing program in place in New York City. The U.S. Department of Transportation said in a news release Wednesday its Federal Highway Administration terminated approval of the pilot for New York's Central Business District Tolling Program, or CBDTP. In a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the DOT said it rescinded a Nov. 21, 2024 agreement signed under the Value Pricing Pilot Program, or VPPP, that effectively ends tolling authority for New York City's cordon pricing plan, which imposes tolls on drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street. The toll charged drivers entering Manhattan $9 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. The plan aimed to discourage drivers from entering a highly congested area of the city with the intention of clearing pollution while also helping to raise $15 billion for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "New York State's congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in the news release. 'Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes," Duffy said. "But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It's backwards and unfair." Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
