PIX11 Special: Countdown to Congestion Pricing
NEW YORK (PIX11) – Starting midnight on Sunday, nearly every driver who crosses south of 60th Street in Midtown, Manhattan will be tolled as the first congestion pricing program in North America begins.
There are multiple goals for the congestion pricing zone, including easing traffic in the most crowded area of the city, reducing emissions, and raising money for the MTA.
Here's how it works:
- Drivers traveling below 60th Street will be automatically charged unless they take the FDR Drive or West Side Highway or go straight from those roads into the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel.
- Those routes are considered to be outside the zone. But the minute you turn onto any other street below 60th Street, you get charged.
- As far as how much this will cost you, that depends on a number of factors, including whether you're traveling during designated peak or off-peak hours.
- The peak fee will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
- The peak fee will cost E-ZPass drivers $9. The toll costs $13.50 if you pay by mail.
- The off-peak fee will cost E-ZPass drivers $2.25. If you pay by mail, it will cost $3.30.
- These costs are higher for most commercial vehicles.
- There are some discounts and exemptions for drivers.
- Passengers in taxis, green cabs, and black cars will be charged 75 cents no matter the time of day.
- The fee rises to $1.50 for passengers in app-based for-hire vehicles like Uber and Lyft.
- You may also be able to save money with bridge and tunnel credits, discount plans, and other exemptions. For more information on those options, click here.
For a deeper dive into congestion pricing and what it could mean for you and New York City, watch the PIX11 Special, “Countdown to Congestion Pricing,” in the video player.