Latest news with #trafficreduction
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Mill Road bus gate: More than 4,600 fines issued to drivers
A council has been issuing around 100 fines a day on average to drivers for illegally using a bus Mill Road bridge bus gate in Cambridge was introduced on 11 March, banning vehicles except for buses, emergency services, taxis and blue badge holders' registered vehicles.A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service shows more than 4,600 fines were issued in its first seven Alex Beckett, chair of Cambridgeshire County Council's highways and transport committee, said "nobody wants to fine people" but that the restrictions made Mill Road a "more enjoyable, safer place to visit". He said: "Mill Road is the centre of a community. We want it to be a more enjoyable, safer place to visit and to encourage more people to come into the area."Reducing motorised through traffic and installing the bus gate will help achieve this."Anyone driving illegally through the bus gate can be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, discounted to £35 if paid within 21 fines were due to begin on March 11, enforcement was suspended for two days due to emergency work to fix a burst water main in the area, with fines starting on March the first seven weeks of the bus gate being fully operational, 4,677 fines were issued to drivers who breached the restrictions. In the first full week of its operation, commencing March 16, there were 857 fines highest number of fines issued in one week was in the week commencing March 30, when 887 fines were issued to drivers. Cambridgeshire County Council agreed last year to issue a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to install a bus gate on the was the second time the authority agreed to issue a TRO after the first was quashed following a legal restrictions created under the TRO closed the bridge to all motor vehicles. There were exemptions for local buses, taxis, emergency services, blue badge holders registered vehicles, vehicles in a disabled tax class, and vehicles on the council's permitted vehicles who fit into one of the categories still have to apply to the county council for a bus gate and cyclists were also still allowed to continue to cross the county council put in place a formal warning period at the start of the year, issuing warning PCNs to drivers who breached the bus gate restrictions, but not actual were also put up at the bridge to warn drivers about the new restrictions. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Photo radar cameras in Barrie cut speeds, net $1.2M - and they're here to stay
The City of Barrie aims to make its speed camera program permanent with additional cameras. The City of Barrie aims to make its speed camera program permanent with additional cameras. City plans for more speed cameras after program brings in millions Nobody likes to find a ticket in the mail, but in Barrie it's been a game-changer. A staff report presented to council this week revealed the City's two-year automated speed enforcement (ASE) pilot project has made a measurable impact on how fast people drive, and has brought in over $1.2 million in revenue. As a result, city council voted Wednesday in favour of making the program permanent and expanding it. The report showed average speeds dropped at all 12 locations where speed cameras were studied. 'Not only does it bring down the speeds in the areas during the time that the cameras are active, but also to a high percentage of the time, the speeds actually continue to be reduced even after the cameras are gone,' said Ward 7 Councillor Gary Harvey. The program started with two cameras and the city intends to add two more as permanent fixtures in school and community safety zones with high pedestrian activity, specifically involving children. 'We're putting them in school and safety zones where our children are playing,' said Mayor Alex Nuttall. 'We should have these types of devices to ensure that if the habit of the public is to speed in school zones, we need to find a way to slow that down.' Of the revenue generated by the program, more than half-a-million will be allocated toward community safety initiatives. Council is also considering introducing red light cameras, a measure that's currently under review by staff. A final report is expected in the coming months for council's consideration.
Washington Post
28-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Judge blocks Trump officials' bid to end NYC congestion pricing
A federal judge said Tuesday that New York City can keep charging drivers entering parts of Manhattan up to $9 until at least June 9 through its congestion pricing program, which aims to reduce traffic and raise funds to revamp the city's decaying mass transit network. Judge Lewis J. Liman of the Southern District of New York federal court issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday against Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and other officials, blocking them from withholding federal cash or approvals from the state in a bid to kill congestion pricing. New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority sued the Trump administration in February for trying to terminate the program.
Fast Company
27-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Trump wants to kill NYC's congestion pricing, but a judge just said he can't—yet
New York City's congestion pricing program has only been in place for a few months, but it's already reduced traffic, increased public transit ridership, led to fewer delays for school buses—and drawn the ire of President Donald Trump. Trump has taken steps to kill the program, but on Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked that effort, keeping the toll program alive until at least early June. Congestion pricing—which implements tolls on drivers who enter specific (and often gridlocked) areas of Manhattan in order to reduce traffic, lessen air pollution, and raise money for public transit—went into effect on January 5. In the first three months of the program, congestion pricing collected $159 million —funds that will go toward badly needed transit upgrades, including infrastructure repairs and accessibility additions. It was the first program of its kind in the U.S., though congestion pricing has already been successful in cities like London, Stockholm, and Singapore. When Trump took office, his administration quickly took aim at congestion pricing. In February, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said he was revoking federal approval for the initiative. (Congestion pricing was approved under President Joe Biden.) The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which oversees congestion pricing, sued to block that move. Duffy then told New York Governor Kathy Hochul in April that if the state didn't end congestion pricing, it could see 'serious consequences,' including withholding funding and approvals for highway projects beginning May 28. But a federal court judge in Manhattan has ruled to keep the program running—until at least June 9. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued a temporary restraining order to the Trump administration's efforts. Liman ruled that the Trump administration could not immediately kill congestion pricing, nor could it retaliate against the state by withholding DOT funding. 'We've won—again,' Hochul said in a statement. Though Hochul delayed the implementation of congestion pricing in the summer of 2024, she has since become a supporter of the program, especially as it has come under attack by Trump. Congestion pricing, she says, is the solution for clearing up traffic, cleaning city air, and investing in public transit. 'So here's the deal: Secretary Duffy can issue as many letters and social media posts as he wants,' she added, 'but a court has blocked the Trump administration from retaliating against New York for reducing traffic and investing in transit.' The MTA's lawsuit against the Trump administration will now decide the future of congestion pricing. Judge Liman, a Trump appointee, said in Tuesday's ruling that New York 'would suffer irreparable harm' without a restraining order against the Trump administration's efforts to kill congestion pricing, the New York Times reported. Liman may issue a longer-term protective order beyond the June 9 date, per the Times. Congestion pricing imparts a $9 toll on drivers during peak hours in a zone that covers most of Manhattan below 60th street. In just one month of the program, the impact was 'undeniably positive,' transit officials said. During afternoon peak hours, drivers in the entire congestion relief zone are seeing travel times drop up to 59%. As of February, weekday bus ridership had already grown 6%, while weekend ridership was up 21%, compared to January 2024. In May, a New York Times analysis looked at the impact further, citing how local buses, and school buses, were less delayed, car crash injuries were down, parking violations were down, and fire response times were also 'slightly down.' Public support for congestion pricing has also been on the rise. Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for the Riders Alliance, a nonprofit that supports public transit in New York City, echoed the governor's statement that Judge Liman's ruling was a victory for the city, and for transit riders specifically. 'Congestion relief is perfectly legal and thoroughly vetted. Opponents exhausted all plausible arguments against the program and now the increasingly outlandish theories are falling flat too,' he said in a statement. 'We are eager to keep saving time on the bus and look forward to more reliable and accessible subways thanks to this policy that continues to win support.'
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Latest NYC congestion pricing deadline comes and goes, tolling remains in effect
The most recent deadline set by the Trump administration for for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to halt the city's congestion pricing has come and gone. The cameras remain on, and congestion pricing is still in effect. Trump administration officials told Hochul that if the cameras weren't switched off by Wednesday, New York may lose some federal funding and the federal government "may implement compliance actions as soon as May 28." Hochul's office was unmoved. "Congestion pricing is lawful -- and it's effective. Traffic is down, business is up, and the cameras are staying on," a spokesperson said. MTA sends letter responding to Secretary Duffy In April, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to Hochul warning "New York risks serious consequences" if it keeps congestion pricing in place. Duffy warned Hochul that if congestion pricing was still up and running after May 21 and Hochul didn't satisfactorily explain why, then on May 28, the Federal Highway Administration may: Halt all advance construction projects throughout Manhattan except for those deemed essential for safety Halt all environmental approvals for projects in Manhattan, except for safety projects Halt Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) amendments Duffy has previously said, however, that he has no plans to halt the the Second Avenue Subway and Hudson Tunnel Gateway projects. Wednesday, the MTA sent a reply. In their letter, they say that Duffy's decision about congestion pricing "has already been made, and that is is 'an opportunity to be heard' in name only. The MTA said when Duffy revoked federal approval for congestion pricing, he did not give "any notice or due process before that alleged termination, and he cannot cure that failure now through a sham exchange of letters." The MTA's letter goes on to argue that congestion pricing is legal, proper and that Duffy has no authority to terminate it, or undertake his threatened compliance measures listed above. Recent data about congestion pricing The most recent data from the MTA showed that more cars have been flowing into the congestion zone since the start of the program. On Day 1 of congestion pricing, there were about 410,000 vehicles that entered the zone, but as recently as May 10, there were 524,000. Even with that increase, the MTA says the average amount of vehicles in the zone remains 12% less than prior to the implementation of congestion pricing.
