Starting Sunday, drivers entering the busiest section of Manhattan will be required to pay a $9 toll. This comes after a federal judge denied New Jersey’s request for a temporary restraining order on Friday. Governor Murphy’s office intends to appeal the decision, but the MTA will move forward with the program as planned on Sunday morning.
The toll system will begin with a lower base fee of $9, reduced from the initial proposed amount of $15. The congestion pricing plan aims to raise funds for the MTA’s capital projects while also alleviating traffic in Midtown by tolling drivers who enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber spoke to Eyewitness News, emphasizing the long-standing nature of the plan. “We’ve been talking about this in New York for close to 50 years. I mean, Mayor Bloomberg in 2009 got very close. This is historic,” Lieber stated.
The toll structure will vary based on the time of day. During peak hours, the toll will be charged from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Overnight toll rates will be 75% less than the regular peak period tolls for all vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone.
For passenger and small commercial vehicles, including motorcycles, the toll will be $9 during peak hours and $2.25 overnight for vehicles with a valid E-ZPass. Motorcycles will pay $4.50 during peak hours and $1.05 overnight. Small trucks and some buses will be charged $14.40 during peak hours and $3.60 overnight, while larger trucks and tour buses will face a $21.60 toll during peak hours and $5.40 overnight.
Taxis and for-hire vehicles, instead of paying a daily toll, will be charged a per-trip fee that passengers will pay for rides in and out of or within the Congestion Relief Zone. High-volume for-hire vehicles will pay $1.50 per trip during both peak and overnight hours, while taxis, green cabs, and black cars will pay $0.75 per trip.
Drivers entering through one of the four tolled tunnels — Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel — will receive crossing credits that reduce their tolls. These credits will be up to $3 for passenger vehicles, $1.50 for motorcycles, $7.20 for small trucks and charter buses, and $12 for large trucks and tour buses. No crossing credits will be given during overnight hours, when the toll is reduced by 75%.
Discounts and exemptions will be available for qualifying drivers. There is a discount plan for low-income drivers, and exemptions for individuals with disabilities, organizations transporting people with disabilities, emergency vehicles, buses, and certain government-owned vehicles.
Drivers with an E-ZPass tag can pay the toll in the same way they pay other tolls, while those without E-ZPass will receive a Tolls by Mail bill, which is more expensive and less convenient. Full details on the toll structure, exemptions, and discounts can be found on the MTA’s website.
The toll plan will be phased in over six years, starting with the $9 toll for cars, which will rise to $12 in 2028 and $15 in 2031.
Governor Hochul could not set the base toll below $9 without triggering a federal environmental review, which could allow the incoming Trump administration to block the plan. President-elect Donald Trump has been vocal in his opposition to congestion pricing, stating in May that he would cancel the plan within his first week in office. However, it would be more complicated for Trump to stop the plan if it is already underway before his inauguration in January.
The new toll is expected to reduce the number of cars in the city by 80,000, while generating billions of dollars to fund essential transit improvements.
{Matzav.com}