NYC Congestion Pricing to Start June 30, MTA Announces

ABC 7 Eyewitness News reports that, five years after passing in the state legislature, New York City’s controversial congestion pricing plan will go into effect on June 30. During peak hours (5 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekends), the toll structure for vehicle travel through the Congestion Relief Zone will be as follows:

• Cars: $15 toll during peak hours, and $3.75 overnight
• Trucks and buses: $24 or $36 (depending on size and purpose) and $6 and $8 overnight 
• Motorcycles: $7.50 a maximum of once a day. 
• Passengers of taxis, green cabs, and for-hire vehicles: $1.25 per trip
• Passengers of high-volume for-hire services like Lyft and Uber: $2.50 per trip

MTA officials say these tolls will result in 100,000 fewer vehicles entering the area every day, leading to less traffic, cleaner air, and revenue that will go toward public transit investments. ABC 7 also reports the MTA launched a portal for people to learn about eligibility for discounts or exemptions, which they can already start applying for.

The program will be the first its kind in the United States, though congestion pricing is quite popular in Europe. Opponents say the fees will burden workers, result in higher prices of goods transported into the city by truck, and simply shift congestion outside of the zone. There are also multiple pending lawsuits from small business owners and the state of New Jersey that have yet to be. Proponents say if done right, the plan could pave the way for similar congestion pricing plans across the country.