Most drivers will begin paying new congestion tolls on Jan. 5 to reach the heart of Manhattan, if all goes as planned.
The fees are meant to relieve some of the world’s worst gridlock and pollution while raising billions of dollars for important upgrades to New York City’s subways and buses. Officials also hope to persuade people to use public transit instead.
Congestion pricing has been debated for decades, and opponents have fought hard to diminish or stop the tolls, which would be the first of its kind in the United States.
Under public pressure, Gov. Kathy Hochul had blocked the program just weeks before its original start date in June. At the time, she cited concerns about the possible impact that the tolls could have on New York’s economy, an idea disputed by many experts.
When she revived the program in November, she introduced a 40 percent discount in rates across the board for several years. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the city’s subway and buses and two commuter rail lines, plans to phase in higher rates later.
Officials are racing to implement the program before President-elect Donald J. Trump, a powerful opponent who has promised to end the project, takes office on Jan. 20. And at least 10 lawsuits could still unravel the plan ahead of its start date.
Here is a closer look at how the tolls would work for most drivers.
Private vehicles
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Driving a
from
via the
during
hours
E-ZPass.
| Charge | Total | |
| Total congestion fee | $undefined |
The program has been designed to reduce the volume of personal automobiles because they make up a large share of Manhattan’s traffic.
There would be a cap of one toll per day for passenger vehicles entering the designated tolling zone.
Cars with E-ZPass $9.00
The base toll for personal cars has been set at a higher amount than for motorcycles, taxis or ride-hail vehicles in hopes of encouraging drivers to use mass transit or other options, like carpooling, that contribute less to traffic.
Those enrolled in the E-ZPass system would pay a lower fee than if they were not. The E-ZPass system is used by many East Coast states to collect tolls on bridges and highways, and transportation officials say it is the most efficient method to charge drivers.
Manhattan Bridge No entry credit
Those traveling over a bridge that is not tolled otherwise would pay the base toll and not receive a credit.
Those who would pay the new toll with E-ZPass would receive an additional credit if they would exit the zone using the Queens-Midtown and Hugh L. Carey Tunnels, regardless of entry point.
Peak hours
The base toll would apply during the most congested hours: from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
Taxis and Rideshares
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Taking a
into, out of, or within the toll zone.
Taxis and app-based ride-hail services such as Uber and Lyft are a significant source of traffic in Manhattan, and passengers who use them already pay other congestion fees. Passengers in these vehicles — not drivers — would pay a new fee per trip into, out of and within the zone.
The average fare in 2023 for trips in the zone, without tip, was $26 for taxis and $36 for passengers using ride-hail apps, according to transportation officials. Taxis made an average of 12 daily trips and ride-hail vehicles made six.
Taxi rides $0.75
The fee for passengers in taxis would be slightly lower than for passengers in ride-hail vehicles, which make fewer trips and are more likely to idle in the zone. Public officials want to avoid driving customers away from the struggling taxi industry. Taxi drivers have faced many challenges over the past decade, such as predatory loans and the rise of for-hire apps.
Trucks and Buses
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Driving a
from
via the
during
hours
E-ZPass.
| Charge | Total | |
| Total congestion fee | $undefined |
One of the goals of congestion pricing is to reduce air pollution in and around Manhattan. Trucks are some of the biggest contributors to noise, smog and other pollutants around busy roads. Buses also take up much more space and contribute more to congestion compared with smaller vehicles.
There would be no daily cap on tolled trips made by trucks or buses.
Small trucks with E-ZPass $14.40
These vehicles, like those used as U-Hauls and for package deliveries, would be charged lower tolls than large trucks and tour buses. But their fees would be higher than those for passenger vehicles because they still take up a large amount of space on the road and can cause delays while driving and turning.
Drivers enrolled in the E-ZPass system would pay a lower fee than if they were not. The E-ZPass system is used by many East Coast states to collect tolls on bridges and highways, and transportation officials say it is the most efficient method to charge drivers.
Lincoln Tunnel -$7.20
Drivers traveling through a tunnel with a pre-existing toll would be granted a credit to offset the cost of the new toll.
Drivers who would pay the new toll with E-ZPass would receive an additional credit if they would exit the zone using the Queens-Midtown and Hugh L. Carey Tunnels, regardless of entry point.
Peak hours
Peak fees would apply during the most congested hours: from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Officials want to discourage deliveries and commercial traffic during these hours.
Income
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Drivers with an annual income
$50,000.
Transit officials have tried to keep the new toll affordable by establishing tax credits and discounts for people with low incomes who would have to drive into the zone for work. But this would be a very small fraction of drivers.
Out of the 22 million people who live in the region and the 1.5 million who work in the zone, an estimated 16,000 people with household incomes under $50,000 drive to work into the zone. That represents only 1 percent of its workers, according to a recent analysis of federal demographic data.
Income lower than $50,000 50% of base toll
Some workers who earn less than $50,000 per year may have no alternative to driving to work in the zone. Because the toll may pose a financial hardship, they could sign up for a program that would provide a 50 percent discount from the peak toll price after their first 10 trips in a calendar month. The discount would not apply for off-peak toll rates. (Low-income residents of the congestion zone who make less than $60,000 a year could apply for a state tax credit.)
Exemptions
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Driving an
into the toll zone.
Public officials have tried to keep exemptions to a minimum in order, they say, to evenly balance the burden of the new tolls among drivers, to discourage drivers from using vehicles in the zone as much as possible and to aim for generating $15 billion to pay for better subways and buses. Here are several categories of vehicles whose drivers wouldn’t have to pay the new toll.
Emergency vehicles No toll
When state lawmakers established the program in 2019, they shielded emergency vehicles from paying the tolls. Those vehicles would include ambulances, police vehicles, correction vehicles, fire vehicles and blood delivery vehicles.
