What Congestion Pricing Means for New York City

A statewide ban on plastic bags and groundbreaking tolls for motorists entering the busiest sections of Manhattan are coming to New York under a new state budget that takes several ambitious steps to address long-standing environmental and transportation challenges. Lawmakers worked through the night Sunday to pass the $175.5 billion spending plan. The Democrat-controlled Senate finished passing budget bills around 2:30 a.m. Monday, followed about five hours later by the Assembly, also controlled by Democrats. Monday is the start of a new fiscal year and the date the budget is due. The sprawling legislation contains a myriad of provisions guaranteed to affect residents and visitors in some way. Provisions in the budget will eliminate cash bail for misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses, make an annual 2 percent property tax cap permanent, increase education spending by $1 billion and create a new, $100 million public campaign finance system.