What to Know
- MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the transit authority is on track to begin tolling drivers coming in to Manhattan below 60th Street in May 2024
- As of now, it is not clear what the base fare to enter Manhattan's central business district will be set at, but it could be anywhere from $9 to $23 per trip
- Those who drive for a living, as well as commuters into Manhattan, say the additional payment is unfair, while those in favor say the plan is necessary to reduce traffic and to fund the MTA
It's one of the biggest points of interest surrounding congestion pricing: How much will drivers have to pay, and who (if anyone) could get discounts?
There may finally be an answer soon.
The Traffic Mobility Review Board met Monday evening to decide on the controversial plan set to begin in late Spring 2024. It marks the final time the special panel will meet before announcing recommended toll rates.
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The board said they were not looking to set a fixed price for the tolls, but rather presented four different scenarios that could occur. It remains to be seen what the price will be, but the board stated they will likely enact so-called "crossing credits" so that those who already pay at the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel, for example, will not pay the full congestion fee.
It was not clear how much the "crossing credits" would amount to, but it's possible that drivers coming from New Jersey via the tunnels would get a break of around $4-$7 off their congestion toll, the board posited. Drivers from Long Island and Queens using the Queens-Midtown Tunnel could also get the same break, according to the board. Those who come over the George Washington Bridge and go south of 60th Street would see no such discount, however.
Another key detail from the meeting: The board mentioned charging double the rate of other automobiles, and full-size trucks would be charged triple. Both measures would be done to help the MTA hit its revenue target.
Overall, it appeared that few (if any) groups would be fully exempt from the toll.
While it is not clear what any of the prices will be, the toll is expected to be somewhere between $9-$23. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said that the goal is to keep it far below the higher amount.
"People talking about the $23, [the board members] are trying to keep it well lower than that. They’re trying," said Lieber.
He added that one key factor in keeping the toll lower: having the number of exemptions low as well. But everyone from New Jersey residents to small business owners to cabbies have been hoping to win special exceptions and not have to pay the toll.
"If you start giving out exemptions willy-nilly, the rest of the world goes up," Lieber said.
The issue of exemptions and whether some people should pay more than others was also addressed at an earlier Traffic Mobility Board hearing in August. Some who drive for a living, such as truck drivers or cab drivers, said that congestion pricing is especially unfair for them.
"Uber and Lyft drivers have been taxed since 2019, and now they're talking about adding a second tax. It's not the drivers who decide to come into the city, it's the passengers," said Andrew Greenblatt, of the Independent Drivers Guild, during the August hearing.
The official pricing recommendations and exemptions will be announced later in October. An independent mobility panel will ultimately decide how much each driver is charged. Scanners along West End Avenue have been in place for weeks.
"The fairest thing is to keep the base toll as low as possible," said Carl Weisbrod, the chair of the review board, who emphasized that exemptions will result in higher fares for everyone else. "As soon as we start giving exemptions here and exemptions there, then people have a claim of saying it’s not fair benefitting X as opposed to Y."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy previously sent a letter to the Traffic Mobility Board asking for drivers from his state to be exempt, arguing they shouldn’t have to pay for the toll to take the Holland and Lincoln tunnels or George Washington Bridge in addition to an extra fee to go into midtown Manhattan. He argued that toll price should count as a credit toward the fee, to ensure they are not having to pay twice.
Lieber previously said Wednesday that the transit authority is on track to begin tolling drivers coming in to Manhattan below 60th Street in May 2024. That fits with the MTA's plan of having congestion pricing begin in spring of next year, which they have maintained has been their target start date.
New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against the federal government in an effort to block congestion pricing. Staten Island has said it plans to sue the MTA over the plan as well.
"If the sidewalks of the city are congested or crowded, does that mean we should have a walking tax to deal with the congestion on the sidewalks," argued Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella.
The New York City Council also held a hearing on the matter late over the summer, though no new ground was broken on who might get any possible exemptions — such as medical patients or those who live in areas without good public transit options. At the hearing, the City Council said they had received requests to exempt residents in certain areas, while also getting requests specifically not to exempt those same individuals.
Transit President Richard Davey testified at that hearing, saying the revenue generated from the plan will help make NYC's transit system state of the art — which will benefit everyone.
"That is what congestion pricing is going to buy, investment in our transit system. So we’re excited about taking this next step in the approval process," said Davey.
At a rally in support of the plan in August, advocates pointed to the other advantages.
"Buses will run faster, air will be cleaner, our streets will be quieter and calmer. And New Yorkers who rely on driving will spend less time stuck in traffic than ever before," said Elizabeth Adams of Transportation Alternatives.
