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Anti-Congestion Tax Act
2/12/2025, 9:01 AM
Summary of Bill HR 344
The main focus of the bill is to address the issue of congestion fees, which are charges imposed on drivers entering certain high-traffic areas in order to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. The bill specifically targets the MTA, which is responsible for managing public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area.
Under the provisions of the bill, the MTA would be required to exempt certain drivers from paying congestion fees in order to receive certain grants. The specifics of which drivers would be exempt and how this exemption would be implemented are not clearly outlined in the bill itself, leaving room for interpretation and potential debate. In addition to the congestion fee exemption requirement, the bill also includes other provisions related to transportation and congestion management. These additional purposes are not clearly defined in the bill, but could potentially include measures to improve public transportation infrastructure, reduce traffic congestion, and promote sustainable transportation options. Overall, Bill 119 HR 344 is a complex piece of legislation that seeks to address the issue of congestion fees and their impact on drivers in the New York City metropolitan area. The bill's provisions are subject to interpretation and debate, and its ultimate impact on transportation and congestion management in the region remains to be seen.
Congressional Summary of HR 344
Anti-Congestion Tax Act
This bill prohibits the Department of Transportation (DOT) from awarding capital investment grants to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for projects in New York until DOT certifies that vehicles using certain crossings to enter into Manhattan's congestion tolling zone receive exemptions from congestion tolls. The vehicular crossings include the Holland Tunnel, the Lincoln Tunnel, the George Washington Bridge, and any other crossing immediately before entry into the congestion tolling zone.
As background, the MTA's Central Business District Tolling Program for New York City charges drivers a toll to enter an area in Manhattan designated as the Congestion Relief Zone. Under the bill, congestion tolling zone generally means any roadways, bridges, tunnels, approaches, or ramps that are located within, or enter to, the Congestion Relief Zone, with some modifications.
Specifically, the bill requires the MTA to credit a vehicle for the vehicular crossing toll from the amount of the congestion toll charged to the vehicle for entering the congestion tolling zone.
Further, the bill allows drivers entering Manhattan using any of the vehicular crossings immediately before entry into the congestion tolling zone to receive a federal tax credit at the end of the year equal to the amount paid in congestion tolls for using the crossing.
