Ana Lombardo works in the movie industry and often works in studios that are far from a subway, so she drives from her home in the so-called Congestion Relief Zone, or CRZ, below 60th Street in Manhattan.

She and many other residents feel they are being unfairly punished for using a car to leave the zone and simply return home. 

What You Need To Know

  • Residents who live in the Congestion Relief Zone say they don't contribute to the congestion, but rather use their cars to leave the zone

  • The MTA says they had to give limited exemptions to keep the toll low, and hundreds of constituencies asked for one, but in the end, there is a disability exemption, a low-income discount and low-income tax credits

  • Residents point to London residents, who receive a 90% discount in their zone. Residents below 60th Street in Manhattan say they would accept some sort of discount as well

“As far as the congestion that occurs in New York City, I really feel that most of it is not coming from residents," Lombardo said. "Residents are not driving around Manhattan with their car. The parking spots are too precious.”

Councilmember Keith Powers' district is in the CRZ. He supports the program, but feels residents should get a break.

“The point of the program is to disincentivize people from entering into the zone with a vehicle," Powers said. "Some of them live in the zone right next to the FDR and they take two left turns to get home, and they’re wondering why they have to pay the full amount.”

They point to London, which gives residents a 90% discount. But here, the MTA says hundreds of constituencies asked for exemptions, but only a disability exemption and low-income discount were decided on, as well as a low-income tax credit.

However, there are now 17 bills pending in the state Legislature that would provide exemptions to groups ranging from veterans to those seeking medical treatment to first responders to residents of Staten Island and the congestion zone.

“We don’t think it’s appropriate to do any exemptions at this time," said Rachel Fauss, senior policy advisor at good government group Reinvent Albany, which signed onto a memo opposing the bills. "Now this program is just getting off the ground. The MTA did a really thorough review with the Traffic Mobility Review Board, and if you add exemptions, it means everyone else pays more.”

Powers says many residents support the program, and would even take a discount.

“We’re open to a lot of different ideas," he said. "We’ve talked about a discount or allotment of trips, certainly we’ve talked about an exemption.”

But for now, between garaging her car, rent, gas and now the $9 a day, it is just too much for Lombardo.

“It’s almost impossible to live here,” she said.