There will be a fee to enter downtown New York City by car.

It is on the agenda to raise money from those who enter the busy area of ​​Manhattan in New York with their vehicles.

According to the news reported by CNN, the administration of US President Joe Biden approved the program that will charge vehicles entering the Lower Manhattan area of ​​New York City.

If the app is activated, it will work like any road toll. However, it will be a first in the United States, as there will be a special charge for driving in the high-traffic area below 60th Street in Manhattan.

WHOEVER WANTS TO ENTER THE REGION WILL PAY FROM 9 TO 23 DOLLARS

Under the proposals, charges will be made from $9 to $23 during peak hours. The application will go into effect next spring.

Although the plan was discussed for years, it was delayed each time. But last month, the Federal Highway Administration took the first step by approving the release of the environmental study on the subject. “This program is critical to the long-term success of New York City,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said last month.

ONE OF THE WORST TRAFFIC IN THE WORLD

Every day, 700,000 cars, taxis and trucks flock to Lower Manhattan, one of the busiest areas in the world. Lower Manhattan is known as one of the most traffic congested areas in the United States.

Since the traffic is very busy, cars can only travel at a speed of 12.1 km per hour here. Bus speeds have decreased 28 percent since 2010, while New Yorkers lose an average of 117 hours each year in traffic.

It is planned to reduce the number of vehicles entering the congested area by at least 10 percent, if a toll is collected. The app is thought to increase public transportation.

Similar systems are currently being implemented in 7 cities in Europe. This system has already been implemented in London and Durham (England), Stockholm and Gothenburg (Sweden), Milan (Italy), Znaym (Czech) and Valletta (Malta).

CRITICAL APPLICATION

On the other hand, there are also criticisms of the system. Commuters from the outer boroughs of New York City and New Jersey say the program will hurt drivers who have no viable way to get to Manhattan other than by car, and will disproportionately affect low-income drivers .

In addition, opponents of the app say traffic in Manhattan could be diverted to low-income areas of the city like the Bronx.

ERDOĞAN HAS MENTIONED FOR ISTANBUL

This practice, which has been implemented in different parts of the world, was also on the Istanbul agenda at various times.

Lastly, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a TV show he attended in March, pointed out that there should be a paid entrance fee to Istanbul’s city center, saying, “There should be a price to enter Istanbul.”

Erdogan cited London, the capital of England, as an example of implementation. In London, a daily fee of £15 is charged to enter the city center between 07:00 and 18:00 Monday to Friday and between 12:00 and 18:00 on weekends.