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Central Business District Tolling Program, Public Hearings & Environmental Assessment Comment Period

Public Hearings

Thursday, Aug. 25, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 27, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 28, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 29, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 30, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Beginning August 4th, members of the public can register (required step for speaking) and access meetings through the program website.

Environmental Assessment Comment Period

Beginning on Aug. 10, multiple agencies will collect public feedback on the Environmental Assessment online as well as via email, mail, telephone voicemail and fax. Options provided below.

Online: mta.info/CBDTP
Email: CBDTP@mtabt.org | CBDTP@dot.gov
Mail Option 1: CBD Tolling Program, 2 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10004
Mail Option 2: FHWA – NY Division, RE: CBDTP, Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building, 11A Clinton Ave, Suite 719, Albany, NY  12207
Phone: 646-252-7440
Fax: Send to (212) 504-3148 with Attention to CBDTP Team.

Comments received will be considered and become part of the administrative record. Each public hearing will be livestreamed on the MTA YouTube channel at YouTube.com/MTAInfo and on the project website: mta.info/CBDTP. Anyone from any area can participate in any hearing. Speakers will be provided three minutes to speak, and anyone wishing to speak at the hearings will have an opportunity to do so. It is requested, but not required, that those wishing to speak sign up by 7:00 p.m. the previous day at mta.info/CBDTP or by calling the Public Hearing Hotline at (646) 252-6777.

Program Background

MTA Bridges and Tunnels (MTA B&T), New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) today reminded the public that on Wednesday, Aug. 10, they, along with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), expect to release an Environmental Assessment on the proposed congestion pricing program in the Manhattan Central Business District, known formally as the Central Business District Tolling Program. The Environmental Assessment document will include detailed analysis and modeling and incorporates feedback heard during 19 public webinars held last year on the project and process as well as from members of Environmental Justice Technical Advisory and Stakeholder Working Groups.

The release of the document is the latest step in a thorough environmental review of the proposed program being overseen by the FHWA. Following the release, the agencies will hold a series of six virtual public hearings to provide further info on the program and collect public feedback, and beginning on Aug. 10 will welcome feedback online and via email, mail, voicemail and fax.

“This is a tremendous step forward as we work to initiate this transformative public policy, we want to hear from the public about this program. This is the time where comments can help guide the discussion about how the program takes shape.” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

“As we continue the process of evaluating and preparing for the nation’s first congestion pricing program, we are committed to continuing our robust community outreach. Public engagement is paramount in crafting effective policy, especially when it’s centered on a metropolis as diverse and intricate as the region in and around New York City. We strongly encourage the public’s participation in these hearings and value the feedback which will help inform the development of this transformative program.” – New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez

“Congestion Pricing is an integral part of New York’s future to unclog our streets, clean our air, and provide funding for the world-class transit system we deserve, we are proud to partner with the MTA to reach this significant milestone and look forward to hearing from the public to develop a successful program.” – New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

The Central Business District Tolling Program was authorized by the State of New York in April 2019 and modeled on urban congestion pricing programs around the world to reduce traffic congestion and raise needed revenue to improve public transportation. Other cities across the world that have similar programs have also experienced improved air quality. If approved by FHWA, the CBDTP would be the first such program in the United States.

Language Services

At the public hearings, CART Captioning and American Sign Language services will be available. Members of the public who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred relay service or the free 711 relay service, and then ask to be connected to the Public Hearing Hotline at (646) 252-6777 to speak with an agent.

Members of the public who are blind or have low vision may submit an accommodation request online at mta.info/CBDTP or call the Public Hearing Hotline at (646) 252-6777. Please send the request at least five business days prior to the scheduled hearing.

Members of the public who do not have access to a computer or who do not have access to the Internet may listen to the hearings by calling 1-888-788-0099 (toll-free) then entering Webinar ID 826 0673 8045, followed by the pound (#) sign, followed again by the pound (#) sign.

If language assistance or any other accommodation is required, please submit a request at least five business days before the scheduled hearing date in one of the following ways: online at mta.info/CBDTP, by calling the Public Hearing Hotline at (646) 252-6777, or by sending a letter to MTA Government & Community Relations, Re: MTA CBDTP Public Hearings, 2 Broadway, B20.81, New York, NY 10004. For those who make a timely request for language assistance, the MTA will provide interpretation or translation.

2022 Spring Meeting of the Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum

2018 Annual Meeting of the Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum | Western  Connecticut Council of Governments

June 3, 2022; 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

The Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum announces its 2022 Spring Meeting on Friday June 3, 2022 at 10:30 am. This meeting will be hosted by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments as a webinar. Registration for the meeting webinar can be accessed below.

AGENDA

  1. Welcome and Introductions (10:30 am – 10:40 am) – Rick Dunne, Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
  2. Welcoming Remarks (10:40 am – 10:50 am) – Mayor Neil O’Leary, City of Waterbury & Chair, Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
  3. Keynote (10:50 am – 11:05 am) — Rail Service and the Post-Pandemic Market
    Fred Nangle, Deputy Director, Service Planning Projects Operations Planning & Analysis
    MTA Metro-North Railroad
  1. Regional Issues (11:05 am – 11:45 PM)
    a. COVID survey results — Mark Abraham, DataHaven
    b. Route 8 and Waterbury Rail Line Alternative Modes Assessment – Mark Nielsen, Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
  2. Public Participation (11:45 am – 12:00 pm)
  3. Work Program Activities (12:00 pm – 12:25 pm)
    a. Multi-State Freight Working Group – Anne Strauss-Wieder, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
    b. Multi-State Resilience Working Group – Meghan Sloan, Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments
    c. MAP Forum Hub – Gabrielle Fausel, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
  4. Next meeting and agenda items (12:25 pm – 12:30 pm) – Rick Dunne
  5. Adjourn (no later than 12:30 pm)

The MAP Forum is a consortium of ten metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and councils of government (COGs) in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania that have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the coordination of planning activities in the multi-state metropolitan region.


The MAP Forum complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and federal Limited English Proficiency guidelines.  If you need special accommodations to participate in this meeting, or translation services, please contact NYMTC-Public-Info@dot.ny.gov no later than 72 hours prior to the meeting.  

Presentation on the Regional Freight Land Use Study

PUBLIC NOTICE; MULTI-STATE FREIGHT WORKING GROUP

Thursday May 12, 2022; 10:00 am – 11:00 am

The Multi-State Freight Working Group of the Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum announces a presentation on the Regional Freight Land Use Study on May 12, 2022, at 10:00 am. This virtual meeting will be available as a webinar:

Thursday, May 12, 2022 10:00 am | 1 hour
Meeting number: 161 188 7786
Password: NYMTC123
Phone:
+1-518-549-0500 USA Toll
Access code: 161 188 7786

The Regional Freight Land Use Study, funded through the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, has been undertaken to assess the current mix of land uses related to goods movement in the multi-state New York City metropolitan region. The Study assessed the impacts on those land uses of changing business models among retailers and shippers as they develop, adapt, and deploy new technologies. The Study evaluated local, regional, and national development pressures on freight-related and industrial land uses in the multi-state metropolitan region. This region includes the planning areas of the 10 Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Councils of Government in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania which comprise the Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum.