S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8709
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 4, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the  public  authorities
   law, in relation to limiting the number of tolls charged on trucks and
   limiting  the  Triborough bridge and tunnel authority's power to raise
   its toll schedule

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Subdivision 1 of section 1704-a of the vehicle and traffic
 law, as added by section 1 of subpart A of part ZZZ of chapter 59 of the
 laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   1. Consistent with the goals of reducing traffic congestion within the
 central business district and funding capital  projects  the  Triborough
 bridge  and tunnel authority shall have the power, subject to agreements
 with its bondholders, and applicable federal law to establish and charge
 variable tolls and fees  for  vehicles  entering  or  remaining  in  the
 central  business district at any time and shall have the power, subject
 to agreements with bondholders, and applicable federal law to make rules
 and regulations for the establishment and collection of central business
 district tolls, fees, and other charges. For purposes of establishing  a
 central  business  district  toll  or tolls the board shall, at minimum,
 ensure annual revenues and fees collected under such program, less costs
 of operation of the same,  provide  for  sufficient  revenues  into  the
 central  business  district  tolling  capital  lockbox fund, established
 pursuant to section five hundred fifty-three-j of the public authorities
 law necessary to fund fifteen billion dollars for capital  projects  for
 the  2020 to 2024 MTA capital program, and any additional revenues above
 that amount to be available for any successor programs. Additionally, no
 toll may be established and charged  on  passenger  vehicles  registered
 pursuant  to subdivision six of section four hundred one of this chapter
 AND TRUCKS AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT OF THIS CHAPTER
 more than once per day for purposes of  entering  the  central  business
 district.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14676-01-4
              

 S. 8709                             2
 
   §  2.  The  vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
 1704-b to read as follows:
    §  1704-B.  LIMITATION  ON  TOLL INCREASES IN RELATION TO THE CENTRAL
 BUSINESS TOLLING PROGRAM.  THE TOLL SCHEDULE AUTHORIZED FOR  ENTRY  INTO
 OR REMAINING IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT PURSUANT TO SECTION SEVEN-
 TEEN  HUNDRED  FOUR-A  OF  THIS ARTICLE SHALL NOT BE INCREASED AFTER THE
 RECEIPTS OF ALL TOLLS TOTAL ONE BILLION DOLLARS.
   § 3. Subdivision 4 of section 1630 of the vehicle and traffic law,  as
 amended  by section 2 of subpart A of part ZZZ of chapter 59 of the laws
 of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   4. Charging of tolls, taxes, fees, licenses or permits for the use  of
 the  highway  or  any of its parts or entry into or remaining within the
 central business district established by article  forty-four-C  of  this
 chapter,  where  the imposition thereof is authorized by law.  SUCH TOLL
 SCHEDULE SHALL NOT BE INCREASED AFTER THE RECEIPT OF ALL TOLLS TOTAL ONE
 BILLION DOLLARS.
   § 4. Subdivision 12-a of section 553 of the public authorities law, as
 added by section 4 of subpart A of part ZZZ of chapter 59 of the laws of
 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   12-a. To establish and charge variable tolls, fees and  other  charges
 for  vehicles entering or remaining within the central business district
 and to make rules and regulations for the collection of such tolls, fees
 and other charges, subject to and in accordance with such agreement with
 bondholders and applicable federal law as may  be  made  as  hereinafter
 provided.  Subject to agreements with bondholders and applicable federal
 law, all tolls, fees and other revenues derived from the  central  busi-
 ness district tolling program shall be applied to the payment of operat-
 ing, administration, and other necessary expenses of the authority prop-
 erly  allocable  to  such  program,  including the capital costs of such
 program, and to the payment of interest or principal of bonds, notes  or
 other  obligations  of  the authority or the metropolitan transportation
 authority issued for  transit  and  commuter  projects  as  provided  in
 section  five  hundred  fifty-three-j  of  this  title, and shall not be
 subject to distribution under section five hundred sixty-nine-c of  this
 title  or  section  twelve  hundred  nineteen-a  of  this  chapter.  The
 provisions of section twenty-eight hundred four of  this  chapter  shall
 not  be  applicable  to  the tolls and fees established by the authority
 pursuant to this subdivision. Any such fares, tolls, and  other  charges
 shall  be  established and changed only if approved by resolution of the
 authority adopted by not less than a majority vote of the  whole  number
 of members of the authority then in office, with the chairman having one
 additional  vote  in  the  event  of a tie vote, and only after a public
 hearing. SUCH TOLL SCHEDULE  AUTHORIZED  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL NOT BE INCREASED AFTER THE RECEIPTS OF ALL TOLLS TOTAL ONE BILLION
 DOLLARS.
   §  5.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.