fare hikes and service cuts

In a release, Thompson says his weight-based fee plan would generate more than $1 billion in annual regional revenue for the MTA while promoting energy independence and reducing parking problems in New York City neighborhoods. Additionally, Thompson says, bringing back the commuter tax would produce approximately $762 million in annual revenue. The tax generated as much as $360 million annually in the 33 years it was in effect.

Thompson's weight-based fee plan would cover private and commercial vehicles in all 12 New York counties served by the MTA. It would assess a fee of $100 for vehicles weighing 2,300 lbs. or less, plus $0.09 for every pound of curb weight over 2,300. For example, the 2,293-lb. Toyota Yaris would cost an additional $100 to register, while the nearly three-ton Lincoln Navigator would cost an additional $430. The fee would be assessed on top of the flat vehicle use tax of $30 every two years and existing weight-based state registration fees.

The fee could be phased in over time, thereby allowing residents to take the fee into account when deciding what vehicle to buy, Thompson says in a release, noting that such decisions would be driven in part by considerations of fuel efficiency. He adds that New Yorkers who own cars generally have higher incomes and that lower-income New Yorkers would be less affected by the fee structure than by higher transit fares.