NEW YORK — New York’s highly controversial plan to charge drivers to enter midtown Manhattan is set to take effect Sunday, after years of bureaucratic and legal roadblocks.
The goals of so-called “congestion pricing” are to reduce traffic congestion and pollution and increase transit revenue. Gov. Kathy Hochul said this week the state would continue with that plan.
Here are some things to know if you plan to drive to Manhattan after January 5:
The toll applies to the most congested part of Manhattan, south of Central Park. This varies depending on the time of day and whether or not a car is equipped with E-ZPass, which is an electronic toll collection system used in many states.
During peak hours, i.e. 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, most cars, SUVs, small vans and pickup trucks equipped with an E- ZPass will be charged $9, once per day.
During the night, tolls will be reduced to $2.25.
Drivers without E-ZPass will receive their bills in the mail and pay more: $13.50 during peak hours and $3.30 at night.
Motorcyclists will pay half the amount cars pay during peak periods. Bus and truck drivers, depending on their size, will pay more.
There are a few exceptions. Certain emergency vehicles, school buses, disabled people who cannot take public transportation and the people who transport them are all exempt. Low-income drivers who pay the toll 10 times a month can apply for a 50% discount on trips they take the rest of the month.
There is also a short break for those who have already paid a toll to enter Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel during rush hour. They should see a credit on their E-ZPass of up to $3 for passenger vehicles and more for trucks and buses.
Still, with tolls for New Jersey’s bridges and tunnels expected to increase in the new year, a driver coming through the Holland Tunnel during rush hour could pay $22 even with the credit.
Passengers in taxis and for-hire vehicles will see a per-trip surcharge added to their fares for journeys to, from, within or through what is known as the Congestion Reduction Zone. The fee is 75 cents for people taking taxis, green cabs and black cars, and $1.50 for Uber or Lyft riders.
Congestion pricing has long existed in other cities around the world, including London, Stockholm, Milan and Singapore, but New York is the first U.S. city to adopt it.
It’s been floating around New York for years. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested such a project in 2007, and state lawmakers approved the concept in 2019. But it faced opposition and legal challenges from politicians, commuters and commercial drivers. A federal judge this week rejected the state of New Jersey’s attempt to temporarily block the toll.
The idea has supporters among environmental and transit advocates, who say encouraging people to give up driving in favor of public transit will reduce air pollution and help fund the city’s transportation system. metro, bus and commuter train in the region. Millions of New Yorkers use the subway every day.
The plan was stalled pending a federal environmental review required under Donald Trump’s first presidential administration.
It was ultimately supposed to take effect earlier this year — with a higher cost of $15 — but Hochul, a Democrat, abruptly halted it a few weeks before its launch, arguing that it was too expensive.
She presented her latest plan for a fee cut in November, shortly after Trump was elected to another term, with the Republican pledging to end it after he returns to office on January 20.
washingtontimes
