Manhattan Congestion Zone Tolling Begins Sunday, Here’s How It Will Work
by Daniel Eleff – DandDeals
Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed congestion zone pricing in Manhattan back in 2007, though it died in the NY State Assembly. Former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo revived it in 2017 and Biden administration officials gave their approval in 2023.
Other cities in the US are watching closely, as they look to copy the model if it’s successful. London enacted congestion zone pricing in 2003, and it initially saw a 30% decline in traffic, but traffic has since rebounded and is now worse than ever. The initial lower traffic actually wound up enticing more drivers to the congestion zone!
NYC tolling was set to begin in July 2024, but Governor Kathy Hochul suspended those plans in June. She revived them just days after election day in November, with the goal of implementing them before Donald Trump, who has spoken out against congestion zone tolling, is sworn into office.
Barring a last-ditch effort by New Jersey to get a judge to freeze it, the tolling will go into effect this Sunday, January 5th.
There will be a $9 peak hours toll for cars entering Manhattan south of and including 60th Street between 5am-9pm on weekdays or between 9am-9pm on weekends with E-ZPass. If you don’t have an E-ZPass that is linked to the license plate being driven a toll-by-mail rate of $13.50 will be charged.
The MTA says that using an E-ZPass transponder in rental vehicles or borrowed vehicles not associated with the license plate will pay the toll-by-mail rate. You may be able to link your rental license plate to your E-ZPass account, just be sure to remove it when you return the car. NY and out-of-state E-ZPass accounts will pay the same congestion rates.
Vehicles traveling exclusively on the FDR Drive, West Street/West Side Highway, or the Hugh L. Carey connections to West Street will not be charged a toll. You aren’t charged for days that you stay within the zone or exit the zone, the charge is only for entering the zone.
The peak hours E-ZPass toll rate will increase to $12 in 2028 and to $15 in 2031. The toll-by-mail rate will increase to $18 in 2028 and to $22.50 in 2031.
If you enter the congestion zone during off-peak hours, between 9pm-5am on weekdays or between 9pm-9am on weekends, you will be charged a discounted rate of $2.25, which will rise to $3 in 2028 and $3.75 in 2031. The discounted toll-by-mail rate will be $3.30 and will increase to $4.40 in 2028 and to $5.50 in 2031.
If you enter the zone more than once in a calendar day, you will only pay the applicable rate for the first time you enter, subsequent entries won’t be charged, even if you enter during a more expensive time for the 2nd entry.
If you enter the congestion zone with an E-ZPass via the Lincoln Tunnel or Holland Tunnel during peak hours, you will get a $3 discount on the congestion toll, which will rise to $4 in 2028 and $5 in 2031. There is no discount for toll-by-mail users.
If you enter or exit the congestion zone via the Queens-Midtown Tunnel or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel during peak hours, you will get a $1.50 discount on the congestion toll, which will rise to $2 in 2028 and $2.50 in 2031. There is no discount for toll-by-mail users.
There are no discounts if you enter the congestion zone from a tunnel during off-peak hours.
Uber and Lyft rides to, from, or within the zone will be subject to a $1.50 per ride surcharge, while taxis will have a $0.75 surcharge per ride. That’s in lieu of a charge to the driver.
In other news, NYC is lowering speed limits to just 20MPH in hundreds of locations across the city and to just 10MPH in dozens of current and future “shared streets” and “open streets.”
NYC rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars annually from speed cameras.
I assume the next move is to reduce the speed limit to 5MPH so that the city can ticket anything that moves.
