Motorist Tax Abuse Act

This bill would stop the federal government from allowing or running a “cordon pricing” plan for New York City’s Central Business District Tolling Program. Cordon pricing means drivers pay to enter or drive inside a set zone to reduce traffic. In New York, that zone is a part of Manhattan called the Congestion Relief Zone, where drivers are charged a toll to enter. If this bill becomes law, the Federal Highway Administration could not establish or maintain that kind of pricing for New York City under its Value Pricing Pilot Program .

Key points:

• Who is affected: Drivers who enter the toll zone in Manhattan; people and businesses that rely on car travel into that area.
• What changes: The federal government would be barred from setting up or continuing cordon (congestion) pricing for New York City’s program.
• What it means day to day: Without federal approval or support, the toll plan that charges drivers to enter the zone could not be run under the federal program described here.