Motorists entering Manhattan’s busiest area will have to pay up to $9 in congestion fees as New York City officially launches the nation’s first decongestion zone on Sunday.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the zone opened at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and is “fully operational.”
The plan aims to alleviate New York’s notorious traffic problems and raise funds for public transit. The bill went into effect despite an 11th-hour effort from neighboring New Jersey and local opponents, including President-elect Donald Trump.
Under this rate plan, most cars entering Manhattan’s central business district (which runs from 60th Street to the southern end of the Financial District) will be allowed to enter Manhattan between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. You have to pay a peak fee of $9. 9pm on weekends.
Off-peak offers a 75% discount, or $2.25.
Light trucks and non-commuter buses pay a $14.40 fee to enter Manhattan during peak hours, while large trucks and tourist buses pay a $21.60 fee.
Motorists will only be charged once per day, and exemptions include certain emergency and government vehicles, as well as low-income drivers and people with medical conditions that prevent them from using public transportation. School buses and commuter buses are also exempt.
The MTA expects the number of cars and trucks to decline by 10% after the toll begins. MTA leaders also promised that billions of dollars raised through congestion pricing would be paid to modernize systems across the region.
The program was revived after two years of delays and revisions after complaints from commuters and businesses who believed the fares were unfair, with Gov. Cathy Hochul pushing for its return.
But the real competition was getting the pricing approved before President Trump took office in January.
Trump, a native New Yorker, has vowed to reverse the plan once he returns to the White House, and Republicans have already urged him to intervene.
Prosecution also began as scheduled, despite a last-ditch attempt by New Jersey to block the project on environmental grounds. A lawsuit from New Jersey was seeking tens of millions of dollars for predicted environmental damage if traffic worsened on the other side of the river.
Although a judge ruled that the Federal Highway Administration’s opinion must be considered, the MTA told NBC New York last week that it had the green light to begin setting congestion pricing.
In response to the New Jersey lawsuit, Hochul said he offered money to settle the case, but no agreement was reached.
“We have made multiple offers to resolve this case, and they are very generous offers,” Hochul previously said.
New York may have been the first American city to introduce congestion pricing, but similar systems have long been in place in cities such as London and Stockholm.
