Thompson Touts Vehicle Fee to Close MTA Gap

NEW YORK CITY-Seeking to avoid the fare hikes and service cuts that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is planning to close a budget gap, comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. on Sunday proposed a weight-based registration fee for motor vehicles. He also called for the reinstatement of the commuter tax, which was repealed in 1999.

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.