On Wednesday, March 27, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved final rules for the city’s Central Business District tolling program by a vote of 11-1. The final tolling structure closely mirrors the proposal by the Traffic Mobility Review Board.
Fares
- Peak-hour tolls will be collected from 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. on weekends. These tolls will be discounted by 75% during all other off-peak hours.
- Passenger vehicles: $15 per day
- Small trucks and charter buses: $24 per day
- Motorcycles: $7.50 per day
- Ride-share vehicles and taxis are exempt from the passenger vehicle fee. All Ubers and Lyfts going through the Central Business District (CBD) will be charged $2.50 surcharge per ride, and taxis and black cars will be charged $1.25 surcharge per ride.
Exemptions
- Emergency vehicles: fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars
- Vehicles carrying people with disabilities
- School buses with a contract with the city’s Department of Education (but only when the buses are transporting students to and from school)
- Government vehicles (the definition of which will be subject to further discussions with the MTA)
- Commuter, intercity, and regional buses
Discounts
- Low-income drivers making less than $50,000 are eligible to receive 50% off peak hour tolls after their first ten trips in a calendar month.
- Low-income drivers living in the CBD making less than $60,000 are also eligible to apply for a state tax credit.
- All drivers coming from the four tunnels entering the CBD (Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey, and Queens-Midtown) will receive a $5.00 - $20.00 “crossing credit” during peak hours, depending on the size of the vehicle.
The Federal Highway Administration will now review the final tolling program, with an expected approval. Six lawsuits against the congestion pricing plan, brought by elected officials and residents in New York and New Jersey, are still pending, and a hearing is scheduled for April 3 and 4 for a lawsuit brought by the State of New Jersey. Pending the outcome of these lawsuits, the Central Business District Tolling Program is expected to be implemented in June 2024.
