Byrne calls for federal investigation into congestion pricing billing errors

CARMEL, N.Y.—Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne is calling on federal officials to investigate what he’s describing as a “fiasco” stemming from New York State’s deeply flawed Central Business District Tolling Program—better known as congestion pricing—after the county was wrongly billed multiple times for tolls it never incurred. The issue, uncovered by the county’s Office of Consumer Affairs, is the latest example of what Byrne says is a broken system that punishes law-abiding taxpayers and local governments.

Editor's note: NYC's congestion pricing program charges tolls for vehicles in the Congestion Relief Zone— 60th Street and below in Manhattan. Costs vary depending on the type of vehicle and the time of day. Cars and motorcycles are charged once per day. Trucks and buses are charged for each trip into the congestion zone.  (Source 311.nyc.gov.)

 In a letter sent to incoming Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Marc Molinaro, Byrne detailed three separate incidents in which Putnam County was charged for congestion pricing despite no county vehicles entering the tolling zone, which encompasses Manhattan at or below 60th Street. In each case, a license plate reader falsely identified a county-owned Ford Escape as a completely different vehicle—a Chevy pickup truck emblazoned with FDNY decals—resulting in erroneous tolls and, now, late fees.

“Our county is being told to pay for trips we never made, in a vehicle we never used, to a location we never entered,” said County Executive Byrne. “This isn’t just a billing error—it’s a warning sign that congestion pricing is fundamentally flawed, incompetently implemented, and grossly unfair to taxpayers.”

Despite efforts by the county’s Office of Consumer Affairs to correct the charges through formal communication with the state, New York has continued to send bills, now demanding $58.93 in tolls and late fees. The problem appears to stem from faulty license plate recognition technology used by the program’s tolling infrastructure, which fails to distinguish between similar plate numbers or political subdivisions.

Byrne has been an outspoken opponent of congestion pricing, calling it a “congestion tax” that disproportionately harms Hudson Valley commuters and small municipalities while doing little to solve real issues plaguing the metropolitan transportation system. In his letter to Molinaro, Byrne urged a full investigation into how many other municipalities and individuals may have been wrongly charged under the current system.

“With the April 20 deadline from the federal government for New York to halt this disastrous program fast approaching, this latest debacle should serve as the final nail in the coffin for congestion pricing,” Byrne said. “It’s expensive, unfair, and now we know—it’s flat-out inaccurate.”

Byrne is encouraging other municipal leaders and residents to review their billing records and speak out if they have faced similar unjust charges.

Article courtesy of the Putnam County Executive's Office