NY Lawmaker Proposes $3 Tax For Online Deliveries, To Save The MTA And Check Amazon's Power

As the MTA faces down massive layoffs and devastating cuts to subway and bus service, state lawmakers are reviving a proposal to raise money for the transit agency by charging a $3 fee for every package delivered in the five boroughs.

State Assemblyman Robert Carroll, who represents parts of Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, initially proposed the surcharge in 2019 as a complement to congestion pricing, which was supposed to go into effect next month but now looks to be delayed at least a year.

"Now we're in an existential crisis," Carroll told Gothamist. "This bill raises real revenue for the MTA, it’ll make our streets safer because there will be fewer trucks on the streets, it'll make the air cleaner because it will reduce carbon emissions, and it will help our small businesses."

The bill would impose a flat $3 fee on all online purchases delivered to New York City, except food and "essential medical supplies," to be paid by the customer. Before the pandemic, there were 1.5 million package deliveries in the city every day. Carroll estimates that his bill would raise in excess of $1 billion a year for the MTA—more than congestion pricing.

https://gothamist.com/news/ny-lawmaker-proposes-3-tax-online-deliveries-save-mta-and-check-amazons-power