Members of the Boston City Council are weighing the potential of congestion pricing as a means to reduce traffic and improve the quality of life for people who live in the Massachusetts capital.Congestion pricing involves collecting a toll from people who drive into a metropolitan area or a particular section of that area. In addition, the price of those tolls could be higher for particular types of vehicles.For instance, New York City could become the first U.S. city to implement a congestion pricing plan. Under the plan, passenger car drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during daytime hours would be charged $15 electronically, while the fee for small trucks would be $24 and large trucks would be charged $36. A public comment period is already underway and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board will vote on the plan after a series of public hearings, the first of which is scheduled for Feb. 29.Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson (District 7) introduced an order for a hearing to discuss the possibility of congestion pricing during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.In that hearing request, Fernandes Anderson stated numerous constituents have voiced concerns over the narrowing of streets due to added bus and bicycle lanes in Boston in combination with a rise in vehicular traffic. Fernandes Anderson also stated that narrow and congested streets pose challenges for emergency ambulances navigating already congested areas.Fernandes Anderson also stated that a set fee placed on drivers of various vehicles that enter Boston could bring money and resources toward other elements of the community, reduce traffic, increase transit use and improve air quality. In her request, Fernandes Anderson cited New York’s congestion pricing plan. Under New York’s plan, revenue from the tolls — projected to be roughly $1 billion annually — would be used to finance borrowing to upgrade the city’s mass transit systems.There were only two members of the Boston City Council who did not co-sponsor Fernandes Anderson’s hearing request: District 2 Councilor Ed Flynn, the former City Council president, and Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy.The Massachusetts Republican Party has voiced its concern over the idea of introducing congestion pricing in Boston.”Implementing a congestion charge would directly impact Boston residents reliant on commuting to work by car. Following the footsteps of New York, Bostonians might encounter a hefty $15 or more fee for their daily commute. Such a measure is unsustainable and unfair, particularly for individuals compelled to drive in and out of the city for work purposes daily,” MassGOP chair Amy Carnevale said in a statement. “Additionally, Boston hosts several leading hospitals in Massachusetts. For individuals undergoing cancer treatment, accessing essential healthcare could result in substantial costs. We must adopt a realistic perspective on automobiles.”Video below: OTR roundtable discussion on congestion pricingBoston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, said Sunday there is still a lot to learn about what congestion pricing in the city would entail because there were not a lot of details laid out in Fernandes Anderson’s hearing request or during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.”Congestion pricing can mean a lot of different things in many different contexts, depending on where you might even draw some of the boundaries,” Wu said. “Is that right around downtown, or is it around the city’s borders further out? Is it time of day? Is it certain types of vehicles? So I don’t think there’s a concrete proposal yet to react to.”Wu did acknowledge that traffic is “a mess everywhere” in Boston, but went on to say that one potential solution would be making public transportation more reliable.”We need there to be more ways to get around and more ways that we can try to ease traffic because it is causing a whole lot of stress for everyone throughout the city,” Wu said.”There’s a lot to balance, but we know that the number one thing I hear from many of our employers here in Boston is that they wish they could have more foot traffic downtown,” the mayor added. “Public transportation and people feeling like there’s a way to reliably get here is a big part of that. Traffic is an incredible headache for everyone and it’s really holding us back.”During Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Fernandes Anderson’s hearing request was referred to the Committee on Planning, Development & Transportation. Fernandes Anderson is a member of that committee, which is chaired by District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan. The committee also includes vice chair and District 3 Councilor John FitzGerald, District 9 Councilor Liz Breadon, District 4 Councilor Brian Worrell, District 5 Councilor Enrique Pepén and Flynn.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Members of the Boston City Council are weighing the potential of congestion pricing as a means to reduce traffic and improve the quality of life for people who live in the Massachusetts capital.
Congestion pricing involves collecting a toll from people who drive into a metropolitan area or a particular section of that area. In addition, the price of those tolls could be higher for particular types of vehicles.
For instance, New York City could become the first U.S. city to implement a congestion pricing plan. Under the plan, passenger car drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during daytime hours would be charged $15 electronically, while the fee for small trucks would be $24 and large trucks would be charged $36. A public comment period is already underway and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board will vote on the plan after a series of public hearings, the first of which is scheduled for Feb. 29.
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson (District 7) introduced an order for a hearing to discuss the possibility of congestion pricing during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
In that hearing request, Fernandes Anderson stated numerous constituents have voiced concerns over the narrowing of streets due to added bus and bicycle lanes in Boston in combination with a rise in vehicular traffic. Fernandes Anderson also stated that narrow and congested streets pose challenges for emergency ambulances navigating already congested areas.
Fernandes Anderson also stated that a set fee placed on drivers of various vehicles that enter Boston could bring money and resources toward other elements of the community, reduce traffic, increase transit use and improve air quality. In her request, Fernandes Anderson cited New York’s congestion pricing plan. Under New York’s plan, revenue from the tolls — projected to be roughly $1 billion annually — would be used to finance borrowing to upgrade the city’s mass transit systems.
There were only two members of the Boston City Council who did not co-sponsor Fernandes Anderson’s hearing request: District 2 Councilor Ed Flynn, the former City Council president, and Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy.
The Massachusetts Republican Party has voiced its concern over the idea of introducing congestion pricing in Boston.
“Implementing a congestion charge would directly impact Boston residents reliant on commuting to work by car. Following the footsteps of New York, Bostonians might encounter a hefty $15 or more fee for their daily commute. Such a measure is unsustainable and unfair, particularly for individuals compelled to drive in and out of the city for work purposes daily,” MassGOP chair Amy Carnevale said in a statement. “Additionally, Boston hosts several leading hospitals in Massachusetts. For individuals undergoing cancer treatment, accessing essential healthcare could result in substantial costs. We must adopt a realistic perspective on automobiles.”
Video below: OTR roundtable discussion on congestion pricing
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, said Sunday there is still a lot to learn about what congestion pricing in the city would entail because there were not a lot of details laid out in Fernandes Anderson’s hearing request or during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
“Congestion pricing can mean a lot of different things in many different contexts, depending on where you might even draw some of the boundaries,” Wu said. “Is that right around downtown, or is it around the city’s borders further out? Is it time of day? Is it certain types of vehicles? So I don’t think there’s a concrete proposal yet to react to.”
Wu did acknowledge that traffic is “a mess everywhere” in Boston, but went on to say that one potential solution would be making public transportation more reliable.
“We need there to be more ways to get around and more ways that we can try to ease traffic because it is causing a whole lot of stress for everyone throughout the city,” Wu said.
“There’s a lot to balance, but we know that the number one thing I hear from many of our employers here in Boston is that they wish they could have more foot traffic downtown,” the mayor added. “Public transportation and people feeling like there’s a way to reliably get here is a big part of that. Traffic is an incredible headache for everyone and it’s really holding us back.”
During Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Fernandes Anderson’s hearing request was referred to the Committee on Planning, Development & Transportation. Fernandes Anderson is a member of that committee, which is chaired by District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan. The committee also includes vice chair and District 3 Councilor John FitzGerald, District 9 Councilor Liz Breadon, District 4 Councilor Brian Worrell, District 5 Councilor Enrique Pepén and Flynn.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
