Report Proposes $15 Peak Hour, $3 Off-Peak Toll for New York Congestion Pricing Plan

A proposed pricing scheme for New York City’s congestion pricing program could put peak-hour tolls at $15, weekend tolls at $9, and off-peak tolls at $3, writes Dave Colon in Streetsblog NYC.

The plan was developed by Charles Komanoff and Gernot Wagner, who say “A $15 peak toll to enter the Central Business District would be more politically palatable than the $23 maximum fee floated in the MTA's official environmental review of the program.”

“The Komanoff/Wagner plan doesn't conform to any of the scenarios that the MTA modeled for the federal government in its environmental assessment, but seeks to charge drivers based on the impact of their trips on traffic — hence the lower toll at night when traffic is negligible, the pair said.” The study authors also recommend rejecting all requests for exemptions, but support rebates for certain tunnels, which drop drivers directly into the congestion zone.

In a statement emailed to Planetizen before the pricing plan was announced, Samara Karasyk, president of the Hudson Square Business Improvement District, said her organization supports congestion pricing. According to Karasyk, “Traffic headed to the Holland Tunnel is a part of daily life in Hudson Square, but the creative use of public spaces and temporary solutions, like open streets, have made our neighborhood safer and more enjoyable for pedestrians. Implementing a permanent congestion pricing program that will reduce traffic in Hudson Square and other parts of our downtown is key to creating neighborhoods where people want to live, work, and visit.”