Motorists living inside Manhattan’s new congestion-pricing zone could get socked with the same fee as any other driver — even if they never leave the zone, officials said Monday.
Robert Mujica, the state budget director, said it would be up to a Traffic Review Mobility Board to “come up with a structure for how you deal with intra-zone moves. Is there a charge — any charge — or what the charge would be for intra-zone traffic?”
The six-person panel, which will be appointed by MTA Bridges and Tunnels, with just one member recommended by Mayor de Blasio, will deal with all pricing issues.
Mujica defended the potential plan to charge sub-61st Street residents for driving around their own neighborhoods as a matter of fairness to outside commuters.
“What you don’t want to say is the only people that are allowed to drive around in the zone are people who live in Manhattan,” Mujica said.
“The Central Business District happens to be the most transit-friendly area,” he added. “You have the most transit options there, so you should be driving less. That’s the goal.”
But fed-up Gothamites blasted the fee — estimated in the $11.50 range for cars — as a brazen ripoff.
“It’s totally unfair to people who live here,” fumed Marlene Baum. “We’re paying taxes that are extraordinarily high already.”
The 69-year-old Gramercy resident predicted that stubborn New Yorkers would stay behind the wheel — though some of them could be forced to put the five boroughs in their rearview mirrors.
“I do think they’re going to drive people out. They’re already doing it with the taxes,” said Baum. “People are going to move to Florida.”
The roughly $1 billion that congestion pricing is projected to raise each year will be placed into a “lockbox” earmarked for upgrades and repairs to the flagging mass-transit system, though some city residents objected to the MTA being rebuilt on motorists’ dime.
“The city’s trying to raise money to fix the subways and penalizing everyone,” groused West 12th Street resident Marjorie Reitman, 74. “No consideration has been given to the residents. It’s ridiculous.”
Along the zone’s 61st Street border, locals and businesses alike were already bracing for the impact, even as it’s more than 18 months down the road.
“It doesn’t make any sense for me to have to pay $11 to cross a block,” said Diana Blaney, an East 56th Street resident who now plans to start parking her car north of the zone and then hoofing it.
“I’m lucky that I live on the line so I can make adjustments.”
Not so lucky are the owners of parking garages within the zone, who fear they’ll have to lower their prices to entice customers to cross the line — or lose business.
“It’ll definitely have a toll on this garage,” said Jean Palic, an attendant at City Parking on East 59th Street. “We’ll probably lose a lot of customers.”
Workers at the Coliseum Park garage on West 58th Street also shared that fear.
“Oh, God, forget about it,” groaned worker Basil Dyal. “This garage won’t do business anymore if people have to pay that.”
There are some positives New Yorkers trapped in the zone can cling to, however.
First, zone residents who make $60,000 or less annually can claim a credit for the fees on their tax returns.
Second? “You’re not going to charge someone who’s moving their car because it’s alternate side of the street parking,” said Mujica.
Additional reporting by Ruth Weissmann and Julia Marsh