New York City Congestion Prices are in full effect and here is how it will affect drivers moving forward.
NYC has become the first state to implement the new congestion pricing toll which will cause drivers to pay a $9 toll when entering Manhattan. The law went into effect on Sunday, (January 5) and is reportedly designed “to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and raise funds for much-needed public transit upgrades.” However, many feel that the congestion prices are being used to fund the MTA.
Since launching, transit officials said that the system would need adjustments. “This is a toll system that has never been tried before in terms of complexity,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a press conference. “We don’t expect New Yorkers to overnight change their behavior. Everybody’s going to have to adjust to this.”
Here is what congestion pricing is. As reported by Fox 5 NY, “Congestion pricing is an electronic tolling system that charges vehicles for entering Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), the area below 60th Street. This excludes certain highways such as the FDR and the West Side Highway.”
This new system is designed to reduce gridlock in Manhattan’s busiest areas, encourage the use of public transportation, and fund close to $15 billion in transit infrastructure improvements. The tolls will be collected through E-Z Pass and drivers without an E-Z Pass will be charged by mail and will have to pay a higher rate. For NJ commuters, these congestion prices can cost as much as $22 a day.
The peak hours for congestion pricing is 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on weekends. During these hours, passenger vehicles will be charged between $9 and $13.50, motorcycles will be charged between $4.50 and $6.75, small trucks will be charged $14.40 and large trucks and buses will be charged $21.60.
Off-peak hours are 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. – 9 a.m. on weekends, however, the toll rates will drop by 75%. Passenger vehicles will be charged $2.25 and Motorcycles will be charged $1.05.
For more information about congestion pricing, you can learn about it here.