NYC plans to pump billions into mass transit

New York, Mar.1: Between bridge and tunnel tolls, parking fees and the ever-present risk of getting a traffic ticket, it can already cost a mint to drive into Manhattan.

Is forking over another $15 for the privilege of driving into the most traffic-choked parts of the island enough to finally get more people out of their cars and onto mass transit? That's the hope, at least among some New York officials.

The Big Apple is close to implementing a plan that would use license-plate readers to turn all of Manhattan south of Central Park into one giant toll zone.

Most drivers in private cars would pay a congestion fee of at least $15, or $22.50 if they aren't enrolled in a regional toll collection program. That would come on top of the already hefty tolls to enter the city via some river crossings, like the $13.38 to $17.63 it costs to take a car through the Lincoln or Holland tunnels.

That price tag, it's hoped, will lead to fewer traffic jams, reduce air pollution and provide a desperately needed annual cash infusion of around $1 billion for the city's subway and bus systems, which carry some 4 million riders daily.

If the plan is finalized, New York would become the first U.S. city to join a handful globally with similar congestion pricing schemes, including London, Stockholm, Milan and Singapore, which is credited with pioneering the first such program in 1975.

But the lofty plan, which is aiming for a summer launch, still faces roadblocks and questions about whether it's worth it. Public school teachers are among those expected to plead for an exemption at a series of public hearings that kick off Thursday.

Manhattan business owners are fretting about the impact on the local economy. Suburban commuters are furious over the prospect of even costlier workday drives. The fee is a particularly tough pill for civil servants, many of whom don't have a choice where they're assigned, said Paul Caminiti, a public school teacher who drives in from Staten Island.

He says his options are either to swallow an additional $2,700 a year in fees to maintain his current half-hour drive or take as many as three buses that can take nearly two hours, including wait times. (AP)