The controversial issue of traffic congestion pricing in New York City is the topic of the inaugural Jim and Matthew Scarpati Honorary Applied Economics Conference being held on May 16.

The conference, presented by the Department of Economics, College of Arts and Sciences, will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 408 Fronczak Hall, North Campus. It is open to the university community.

Beginning June 30, the city of New York will institute a tax — estimated to run from $15-$25 — on vehicles that enter Lower Manhattan. The tax aims to reduce car traffic, shorten travel times and lower the amount of pollution from cars in the area.

During the conference, undergraduate and master’s economics students will present papers on the topic, “Economic Consequences of Traffic Congestion Pricing in Lower Manhattan”; the two best papers will win prizes.

For more background information, visit the conference website.