Congestion pricing will come into effect at midnight on Sunday after a federal judge greenlighted the toll following an 11th-hour hearing on Friday evening.
The toll, which will charge motorists who enter Manhattan south of 60th Street, has provoked significant debate and several lawsuits.
Federal Judge Leo Gordon in New Jersey issued a 72-page ruling on Monday rejecting most of New Jersey State’s complaints about congestion pricing. However, he did rule that some of the potential impacts of congestion pricing on New Jersey communities required further study, especially concerns over how the toll would impact air quality in New Jersey. Gordon set a deadline of Jan. 17 for New York and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to respond to concerns over the environmental impacts of congestion pricing.
That ruling prompted attorneys representing New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to file a motion for clarification about whether congestion pricing could move forward on Jan. 5.
Gordon ruled on Friday evening that the ruling did not prevent congestion pricing from going into effect, paving the way for the toll to begin as scheduled at midnight on Sunday.
For Queens motorists:
Queens Midtown Tunnel
Vehicles entering Manhattan through the Queens Midtown Tunnel will be charged a congestion fee as they must pass onto residential streets upon exiting the tunnel. This includes drivers heading to the nearby FDR Drive, as reaching the highway requires driving through residential areas.
A crossing credit of up to $3 is available for drivers entering the congestion zone during peak hours. More details on discounts can be found here.
If you’re using the tunnel to leave Manhattan and did not start your trip within the congestion zone, you will still be charged. This applies even if you accessed the FDR Drive before approaching the tunnel, as the approach involves driving through Manhattan residential streets.
The toll will charge motorists $9 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours of 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on weekends. Motorists entering the congestion zone outside peak times will have to pay a toll of $2.25.
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge
Motorists using the Ed Kock Queensboro Bridge will be charged the toll if they drive on the lower level of the bridge or if they exit the upper level of the bridge onto residential streets located within the congestion zone. Motorists who exit the bridge directly onto Manhattan’s 62nd Street will not be charged the toll unless they subsequently travel south of 60th Street.
Robert F. Kennedy (Triborough) Bridge
Drivers entering Manhattan from Queens via the Triborough Bridge will arrive north of the congestion zone and will only pay a congestion fee if they travel onto residential streets south of 60th Street.
– No congestion fee is charged if your destination is East 64th Street.
– A congestion fee applies if you travel to East 45th Street, as it falls within the zone.
If you’re traveling on a highway in Manhattan to another borough or New Jersey and your route involves driving on residential streets within the congestion zone, you will be charged a congestion fee.
Traveling Outside the Congestion Zone
Trips that don’t involve Manhattan’s congestion pricing zone, such as traveling between the Bronx and Queens, will not incur a congestion fee. However, tolls on Port Authority bridges outside Manhattan still apply.
Public Transit Options
For those avoiding the congestion zone, public transit offers various options:
– Subways: A wide array of lines serve Queens with over 80 stations, though these primarily cover western and central Queens.
– Buses: MTA buses operate across all parts of Queens, including areas not serviced by subways. Fares are $2.90 for regular buses.
– Express Buses: Many Queens neighborhoods, including those without subway access, offer express buses into Manhattan at $7 per ride. Schedules and routes can be found here.
– Long Island Rail Road (LIRR): With 22 stations in Queens, the LIRR serves neighborhoods beyond the reach of subways. One-way fares are $7 during peak hours and $5 during off-peak hours. Schedules are available here.
Several Queens elected officials have welcomed the introduction of congestion pricing.
Speaking before Friday’s verdict, State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, representing parts of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, said she looked forward to the introduction of the toll on Sunday.
“I continue to look forward to seeing congestion pricing begin on Jan. 5th. I represent one of the most transit-oriented districts in this city, and I will continue to work towards the fairest and most effective version for all New Yorkers,” Gonzalez said in a statement.
Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas welcomed congestion pricing in November when Hochul announced the measure would return at lower rates than previously planned. González-Rojas stated that the toll will “help close the funding gap” in the MTA’s capital plan, which aims to keep New York City Transit in a state of good repair.
“As a straphanger and someone who relies on public transit to get around the city, I understand the frustration my neighbors feel about long wait times, inconsistent buses and frequent breakdowns,” González-Rojas said in a statement last November.
González-Rojas said congestion pricing would help improve New York’s air quality and street safety while also bringing “much-needed improvements” to the city’s public transportation infrastructure.
She also said congestion pricing did not aim to penalize motorists, noting that Hochul had lowered the toll in response to motorists’ concerns.
“Congestion pricing isn’t about penalizing anyone – it’s about modernizing our transportation system and tackling climate change,” she said.
Council Member Robert Holden, who co-chairs the City Council’s Common Sense Caucus and has been a vocal opponent of congestion pricing, said the toll will adversely affect a number of Queens neighborhoods by encouraging motorists to park their cars in Queens and take public transport into Manhattan’s central business district south of 60th Street.
Holden said the toll would increase congestion and negatively impact parking spaces throughout Queens if motorists from Long Island and other places search for places to park their cars in Queens before journeying onto Manhattan via public transport.
“I don’t know how my district is going to be impacted,” Holden said. “I don’t know what the pollution levels will be if the cars have to park in Queens, or at least look for areas to park their cars.
“Let’s say (people) come from Long Island and take the express bus on Elliot Avenue in my district. They’re going to be parking all over our neighborhoods or riding around looking for parking spaces.”
Holden said the toll would place a burden on motorists living in the outer boroughs and neighboring states and added that he believes congestion pricing will cause inflation as impacted businesses search for ways to combat the toll. Holden contended that rising costs would also push people out of the city.
“These companies are just going to pass it along to us, the consumer,” Holden said. “And that’s going to drive more people out of New York City. God knows we’re hemorrhaging now.”
Holden, however, believes that congestion pricing will not last in the long term and pointed to another lawsuit filed by the Long Island town of Hempstead, which is due to be determined on Jan. 16.
Holden is confident that the Hempstead lawsuit, which contends that Gov. Kathy Hochul did not allow a 45-day pre-adoption public notice period when she lowered the toll from $15 to $9 in November, will be successful in stopping congestion pricing in its tracks.
Hochul reintroduced congestion pricing on Nov. 14 at a lower price of $9, which was swiftly approved by the MTA and the FHWA.
“This was never done right from the get-go,” Holden said.
Holden has accused the MTA of not conducting a thorough environmental impact study and insisted that the MTA instead conducted a less thorough environmental assessment, which did not properly study the potential impact that congestion pricing would have on the outer boroughs and neighboring states.
In his ruling, Judge Leo Gordon also ordered federal and MTA officials to explain why they had allocated more money to mitigate the impact of additional traffic caused by congestion pricing in the Bronx than they had in New Jersey. He also requested more details about mitigation plans for additional traffic.
In response, the MTA pointed to a 4,000-page environmental assessment carried out by the MTA, New York City Department of Transportation and New York State Department of Transportation as required by the FHWA.
The MTA also argues that congestion pricing will help reduce congestion in one of the most congested districts in the United States, stating that the toll will result in 80,000 fewer cars entering the CBD every day. An MTA study found that 700,000 cars currently enter Manhattan’s CBD every day, with motorists traveling at an average speed of 7.1 mph.
The West Side Highway, FDR Drive and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel are all excluded from the congestion pricing plan.
The revised proposal announced by Hochul in November will see large trucks pay a peak toll of $21.60 instead of the $36 initially proposed, while cars will now pay an overnight toll of $2.25 instead of $3.75. Meanwhile, the surcharge for taxis has been reduced from $1.25 to 75 cents, while surcharges for ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft have been reduced from $2.50 to $1.50.
The peak toll for motorists will not rise above $9 before 2027 and will not rise above $12 before 2030.
