Congestion pricing toll gantries on the Williamsburg Bridge
Photo by Dean Moses
Congestion pricing tolls that have been collected for over a year in Manhattan will help pay for more clean trucks in NYC, MTA and transportation officials said on Wednesday.
Making the announcement on April 22, Earth Day, officials said $20 million from the congestion pricing program will support the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) in keeping the air clean by replacing “hundreds” of older diesel trucks with vehicles that use cleaner technology
The replacement vehicles will be electric or hybrid, and use compressed natural gas or clean diesel, officials said. The DOT began accepting applications from truck businesses on April 22. The total number of participating trucks will depend on the fuel type and size of the trucks replaced.
“The clean trucks expansion is the latest of many environmental investments being funded by congestion relief revenues,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “It’s another step to ensure congestion pricing is delivering reduced traffic and cleaner air not only within the tolling zone but citywide.”
Funding for the NYC Clean Trucks Program was included in the more than $330 million mitigation plan in the toll program’s environmental assessment to reduce diesel exhaust emissions. The MTA said the program so far has replaced 714 diesel trucks since 2012, resulting in a 97% reduction of fine particulate matter (24.3 tons/year) and an 89% reduction in nitrogen oxides (418.6 tons/year).
While congestion pricing sparked heavy controversy over the fairness of charging drivers to enter Manhattan south of 61st Street when it launched on Jan. 5 last year, major outrage over the program appears to have lulled across the city.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the announcement “another win” for congestion pricing.
“This $20 million investment to replace polluting diesel trucks with clean, battery-electric alternatives is an investment in our lungs, in our neighborhoods, and in New Yorkers who deserve to breathe clean air,” he said. “I’m grateful for the close collaboration with our city and state partners as we continue to deliver safer streets, healthier communities and a greener future for New York City.”
To be part of the clean trucks program, which is built around rebate incentives to businesses, trucks must meet eligibility requirements, including doing business in a NYC industrial business zone. For more information, visit nycctp.com.