Tuesday, December 3, 2024
New York City's congestion pricing program is back under a revised pricing plan, announced Governor Kathy Hochul earlier today. The decision effectively ends a roughly five-month pause the governor abruptly started in June, just weeks ahead of the anticipated launch.
Hochul, a Democrat, raised concerns over the financial burden the tolling program would incur on motorists.
"As I said from the start, a $15 toll was just too high in this economic climate," she said. "By getting congestion pricing underway and fully supporting the MTA capital plan, we'll unclog our streets, reduce pollution, and deliver public transit for millions of New Yorkers."
Originally, regular passenger vehicles would have been expected to be hit with a $15 charge for traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan — on top of the tolls already paid. The base toll has been reduced to a once-a-day $9 charge, a 40 percent drop. The scale-back will save drivers $1,500 each year with a roll-out date set for January 5.
Completely shelving the vehicle tolling program would have left the Metropolitan Transportation Agency's financial future in serious doubt. In the aftermath of the stall, the transit agency was already grappling with a gaping $500 million funding hole.
While transit supporters say the tolling program will make city streets more navigable for emergency vehicles, it is deeply unpopular with many on Long Island. A 2023 poll shows that 72 percent of Long Islanders opposed the MTA’s congestion pricing plan under a then-$15 base toll.
The program seeks to steer transportation off city streets and onto public transit — a shift local leaders fear could overcrowd Long Island Rail Road station parking lots with Manhattan-bound commuters. Critics say forking over an extra charge for doing business in the city will hurt the bottom line of Long Island truck drivers, construction workers, and other trade workers in the long-term.
Large trucks and sightseeing buses are expected to pay roughly $22. Small trucks and non-commuter buses pay $14.40.
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