Race Day Live (New York City, Jan 2025) – The inception of congestion pricing in New York City: The cost of the toll, discounts, and other details
Following the implementation of congestion pricing on Sunday, drivers will be required to pay a toll in order to access Manhattan at or below 60th Street.
The first-in-the-U.S. plan has been the subject of numerous lawsuits, which have sought to prevent it from being implemented. The lawsuits have characterized congestion pricing as an unjust burden on commuters. On Friday, a circuit court denied the state of New Jersey’s final emergency appeal to temporarily suspend congestion pricing in the lawsuit against the plan.
What is the expense of the toll?
Cars that enter the Central Business District of Manhattan (area at and below 60th Street) will be assessed a $9 daily fee between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. For other categories of vehicles, tolls are priced between $4.50 and $21.60.
During the week, off-peak hours are from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., while on weekends they are from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. During those times, vehicles will be assessed a fee of $2.25.
The MTA has announced that a 50% increase in toll fees will be imposed if an E-Z Pass is not utilized or if the account is not associated with the license plate. It is anticipated that the toll will rise to $15 by 2031.
Are there any methods to save money?
According to the MTA, the congestion pricing scheme offers discounts and exemptions to low-income drivers and residents, individuals with disabilities, emergency vehicles, buses, and government-owned vehicles.
Additionally, vehicles who utilize the Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown, or Hugh L. Carey tunnels are eligible for a $3 crossing credit. The toll is not applicable to the FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, or the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, provided that the departure is not at or below 60th Street.
Until the end of January, Lyft is also compensating passengers for the $1.50 fee they will incur when they utilize rideshare services in the CBD.
What about vehicles in New Jersey?
In addition to the congestion pricing toll, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is imposing toll increases on all New Jersey vehicles.
The Port Authority has announced that the toll for entering New York City through the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, the George Washington, Bayonne, and Goethals bridges, and the Outerbridge crossing will increase by $0.68. Drivers who utilize an EZ-Pass will be charged $16.06 during peak hours and $14.06 during off-peak hours, as opposed to $15.38, according to officials.
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This year, gas prices are also increasing in the Garden State. The state gas tax will increase by 2.6 cents, resulting in a 34.4 cent increase in the price of a gallon of regular petroleum and a 38.4 cent increase in the price of gas for diesel.
The increases are a component of a law that was enacted in March, which aims to increase the gas tax in the state by 18% over the next five years. Currently, New Jersey has one of the highest petroleum taxes in the United States.
The implementation of congestion pricing is not being opposed solely by New Jersey; Staten Island, numerous unions, and others have all filed lawsuits to prevent it.
As a result of the toll, the union that represents New York City’s emergency response squads has requested that its members relocate from Manhattan. The FDNY EMS Local 2507 contended that the cost of emergency personnel’s transportation to work could be approximately $45 per week.
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What is the objective of congestion pricing?
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) intends to allocate the revenue generated by congestion pricing toward the enhancement of infrastructure on the LIRR, Metro-North, buses, and subways. Additionally, the agency anticipates that it will alleviate congestion in Manhattan by approximately 80,000 vehicles.
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