The city’s hated new congestion toll could dangerously delay FDNY response times — meaning the “difference between life and death,” unions repping thousands of Bravest warned Sunday.
The $9 Manhattan toll, which kicked off Sunday, will prompt many Big Apple firefighters to leave their cars at home when reporting for duty because they don’t want to pay the outrageous commuter tax, the unions fumed.
That means the firefighters won’t have their wheels if they report to work at their firehouse and then get called to somewhere outside their zone to fill in during a potential emergency — a situation that occurs about 200 times a day throughout the city, the unions said.
Two of New York City’s firefighter unions are slamming the newly implemented $9 congestion toll plan, saying Sunday that it will likely hurt response times. LP Media
Two of NYC’s firefighter unions have come out against the newly implemented congestion toll, warning it will impact response time. Christopher SadowskiThey will be left having to either try to catch a ride with a higher-up somewhere in an FDNY vehicle or ride mass transit such as the subway to the scene — lugging around their bulky equipment weighing around 85 pounds, union reps said.
It’s either that or the department is forced to buy more vehicles to ferry around the Bravest — which could cost taxpayers millions of dollars, they said.
“We have a lot of members that are saying, ‘You didn’t want us to bring our vehicle into the city. Deal with the aftermath,’ ” said Andrew Ansbro, president of one of the unions, the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York.
There also could be a new issue with fighting fires north of the toll zone, above 60th Street, because more cars will be traveling around there to dodge the tax, thus creating additional congestion, the unions said.
“This is not just a logistical issue — it’s a public health crisis in the making,” Ansbro said.
Follow along with The Post's coverage of Manhattan's new congestion pricing
- New York became the most expensive city to drive in when its congestion pricing began Sunday. New Yorkers now must pay $9 to drive below 60th Street during peak hours.
- Some drivers have begun concealing their plates in an effort to avoid the toll. Some residents of the area are saddled with the cost whenever they want to take their car out.
- Businesses, like funeral homes, have begun shifting the cost to customers. Rideshare app Lyft raised its CitiBike prices for New Yorkers hoping to avoid taking a car. The FDNY union and EMT union claim that congestion pricing will slow down their response times, as well.
- Many New Yorkers are skeptical about congestion pricing’s effects, especially after multiple publicized crimes on the subway in recent weeks. Drivers are expected to dump their cars above the zone, making parking more difficult uptown.
The unions spoke out against the toll just as drivers began getting charged for entering Manhattan below 61st Street. The toll is $9 during peak hours — from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends — and $2.25 for off-peak hours.
New York’s Bravest warned the new tolls could delay emergency response time as firefighters will no longer use their cars to quickly get around the city.
Congestion toll pricing went into effect Sunday at midnight. Christopher Sadowski
Increased traffic could be the difference “between life and death,” Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro says. Michael NagleThe revenues will help the MTA pay off its $15 billion capital plan, the transit agency said.
Both Ansbro’s union and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association are urging city officials to consider exemptions to the plan for emergency services, warning the current structure puts New Yorkers’ lives at risk.
“Congestion pricing should not come at the expense of public safety,” the unions said in a joint statement. “We urge city and state officials to address these critical concerns before implementing a policy that puts every New Yorker at risk.”
Union officials said ladder and engine companies in the Manhattan congestion zone are typically among the most short-handed and in need of transfers to fill in.
“You’re altering their [FDNY] culture,” Uniformed Fire Officers Association President James Brosi, who also attended the press conference, said of the rank and file.
“Our job is to just bring this to the attention of the people like the MTA, so they recognize the difference between us and other agencies,” Brosi said. “They recognize the difference between agencies that can’t travel in their own personal car in uniform, and agencies that are carrying 85 pounds of equipment to move to and from work.”
He said public transportation “isn’t viable” to transport the gear.
“Congestion pricing will burden residents with millions in added costs annually,” he said. It’s an unfair tax that doesn’t account for the critical needs of emergency services.”
