MTA discusses some congestion pricing stats and funding new buses
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NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The first workweek of congestion pricing in New York City is in the books.
On Friday, MTA officials joined some elected leaders in Jamaica, Queens to announce an order of 256 new electric buses for the fleet.
They said this is the first major project to be restarted and funded with the unpause of congestion pricing on Sunday.
Queens has the largest number of daily bus rides with more than 800,000 trips. Electric buses reduce emissions and help improve air quality.
The total fleet is around 5,800 buses. The agency's goal is all electric buses by 2040. The new buses are set to be on the roads in 2025.
Other major congestion pricing projects include new signals on the A line in Brooklyn, new tracks, new train cars and more elevators.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber highlighted the importance of congestion pricing and some early trends from the first workweek.
"The anecdotal evidence is buses are faster and faster through the tunnels with faster morning and evening commutes," he said.
More data will be released next week. The MTA said East River vehicle crossings were down as well as numbers at the MTA bridges and two tunnels.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards was at the event for the electric buses.
"We need to see more of this. This has been my argument to the MTA. If it imposes the tax as some call it, we need to see the benefits in communities like Queens," Richards said.
The first tolls are appearing on E-ZPass accounts at the end of the week due to the operation of the system. There are various types of charges and exemptions. Travel data is gathered by 1,400 cameras at 110 detection points in and out of the zone.
It's not like driving through a toll plaza or getting charged at one camera point. The system can learn what plates go with what vehicle.
Between 10-20% are hand-checked.
Personal vehicles pay once a day.