NYC congestion pricing to launch this month: Information on start date, discounts, exemptions and more (2024)

UPDATE: N.Y. Gov. Hochul to ‘indefinitely pause’ NYC congestion pricing plan

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Even with just under a month to go before congestion pricing takes effect in New York City, there is still new information coming to light about the controversial tolling plan.

Recently, the MTA announced that once the program begins on June 30, there will be a grace period.

Drivers will not be charged any fees or fines for the first 60 days of congestion pricing, according to the MTA’s website. Drivers entering the Congestion Relief Zone will only be charged the appropriate toll, and will not be on the hook for late fees or fines.

Additionally, a new lawsuit was filed on Thursday to stop congestion pricing.

The Trucking Association of New York said it believes that the new tolls will unfairly target trucking and logistics companies. Large trucks will be charged much higher rates than passenger vehicles under the current scheme.

“The MTA’s reckless congestion pricing policy ignores the warnings and counsel of industry experts on both sides of the Hudson, who warn that the discriminatory way trucks and logistics companies are targeted by the plan will increase costs for residents everywhere,” said Kendra Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New York. “This lawsuit was a step we took only out of necessity after the MTA repeatedly refused to make any concessions to our industry and ultimately used our essential, hard-working members as a tool to meet their arbitrary funding requirements. We hope that we can, through this litigation process, create a more equitable and fair policy that works for New York City.”

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Congestion pricing refers to the use of electronic tolling to charge vehicles for entering certain areas, ideally resulting in reduced traffic congestion and increased revenue for transit projects.

Revenue generated from the program will be bonded against and placed in a designated MTA “lockbox” to fund capital improvements to the city’s ailing mass transit system.

The program is expected to generate $1 billion annually, which will be used to secure $15 billion in bonds for repairs and improvements to the public transportation system.

The program will officially start on June 30, 2024.

Vehicles will be charged a variable fee when entering the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), which is any surface street in Manhattan from 60th Street south.

The MTA is hosting virtual information sessions for the public in the weeks leading up to the congestion pricing start date. The first session is planned for Wednesday, June 5, from 11 a.m. to noon.

BASE TOLL RATES

The base toll for cars will be $15, charged on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tolls will be charged only when entering the CRZ and will be capped at once per day for passenger vehicles.

• Passenger vehicles: $15
• Passenger-type vehicles with commercial plates: $15
• Motorcycles: $7.50
• Small trucks: $24
• Large trucks: $36
• Buses providing transit services: Exempt
• Other small buses: $24
• Other large buses: $36
• Ride-share vehicles: $2.50 each trip into the CRZ
• Taxis: $1.25 each trip into the CRZ

OVERNIGHT TOLL RATES

Toll rates will be discounted by 75% during overnight hours, which are defined as weekdays from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and weekends from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Here’s the overnight toll rate for each vehicle type.

• Passenger vehicles: $3.75
• Passenger-type vehicles with commercial plates: $3.75
• Motorcycles: $1.87
• Small trucks: $6
• Large trucks: $9
• Buses providing transit services: Exempt
• Other small buses: $6
• Other large buses: $9

CROSSING CREDITS

Drivers entering the congestion zone via the Queens-Midtown, Hugh L. Carey, Holland or Lincoln tunnels will be offered crossing credits — and will only be issued during standard daytime tolling hours. Passenger vehicles will get a $5 discount.

No additional credits would be offered to New Jersey drivers who enter Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge or Staten Islanders who cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to enter Brooklyn before moving to Manhattan, something being pushed for by elected officials from both areas.

DISCOUNTS & EXEMPTIONS

The program features very few discounts and exemptions, as each one would have resulted in an increase to the base toll so that the program can meet its necessary revenue threshold.

As required by state law, emergency vehicles and those carrying people with disabilities will be exempt from the program, with tax credits in place for residents living within the CRZ and earning less than $60,000.

Additionally, drivers on the FDR Drive, West Side Highway and the sections of the Battery Park Underpass and Hugh Carey Tunnel that connect the two will not be subject to tolls, unless exiting into the surface streets of the CRZ.

Motorcyclists will pay 50% of the standard passenger vehicle toll, $7.50 instead of $15, to reflect the smaller impact those vehicles have on congestion, and low-income drivers will receive a 50% discount on the standard toll after their first 10 trips each month.