Advocacy groups and everyday New Yorkers voiced their opinions on congestion pricing at an MTA board hearing Thursday, with some staunchly supporting it and others expressing concerns.

“This is a crime,” said speaker Raul Rivera, who told the board Lucifer was waiting for them.

Residents within the congestion pricing zone, like Jane Riback, argued for exemptions, noting she must commute to Rockland County for work and should not be tolled.

What You Need To Know

  • Nearly 200 people signed up to speak at a four-hour meeting on congestion pricing on Thursday

  • One doctor argued the toll would be a burden on those seeking life-saving medical treatments

  • A woman who lost her husband in a traffic accident argued reducing congestion could save lives, allowing ambulances to move more freely through the city

“It’s criminal. It’s criminal not to give [an exemption to] residents of the [Central Business District] who must travel out of the city to work,” Riback said.

Others like Dr. Fumiko Chino, a radiation doctor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said the congestion toll adds up to a tax on those who have cancer.

“It’s up to six weeks of daily treatments, so you’re talking about $15 every day,” Chino said. “That’s a disproportionate tax.”

Meanwhile, Mary Beth Kelly, whose husband was hit and killed by a tow truck as they cycled in 2006, fiercely supported the toll, suggesting congestion in the city may have contributed to her husband’s death.

“I would not like to think that he died because of the incredible delay in the arrival of the ambulance,” Kelly said. “But I heard those sirens screaming for what felt like hours that night.”

In total, more than 190 speakers provided opinions Thursday. MTA officials said they will take public comments into consideration when deciding on the final tolling structure.

Editor’s Note: An outdated story appeared on this page initially. This has been corrected.