New York City’s congestion pricing went into effect on Sunday (5), a day after a federal judge rejected a request from New Jersey authorities to block the plan.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) stated that the toll, the first of its kind in the U.S., aims to reduce congestion, boost public transport usage, and improve air quality by charging up to $9 per day for those entering the “Congestion Relief Zone,” which is south of 60th Street.
The policy has faced strong opposition from prominent figures, including elected President Trump, a New York native, who wants to block it, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D), whose office promised on Saturday to continue fighting against the charge.
According to the MTA, the tolling zone includes highways and streets further south from 60th Street.
• FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, and connections from the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel to West Street are excluded.
• Most drivers will be charged through an electronic toll collection system (E-ZPass), with passenger and small commercial vehicles paying $9 during peak hours from 5 AM to 9 PM on weekdays and from 9 AM to 9 PM on weekends. The fee is $2.25 during nighttime hours.
• Motorcyclists pay a single daily fee of $4.50 during peak hours and $1.05 during nighttime hours.
• There is a credit of up to $3 for passenger vehicles and $1.50 for motorcycles for those who paid to enter Manhattan through certain tunnels, except at night because the MTA states that “the toll is reduced by 75% of the peak period value.”
New York City had the most congested traffic in the world in 2023, with drivers losing 101 hours in traffic jams during peak hours, according to INRIX, a transportation analytics company.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) halted the implementation of the policy last June, citing concerns over the initially imposed $15 charge.
The elected president, whose Trump Tower building is in the congestion zone, said in a statement in November that “It will be virtually impossible for New York City to go back while the congestion tax is in effect.”
MTA CEO Janno Lieber said he believes Trump “understands, being on Fifth Avenue, 59th Street — what traffic is doing to our city.”
The head of the MTA is “hopeful that, although there has been some rhetoric about this, we will continue to work with the federal government and overcome the administration change.”
Source: Axios