MTA updates congestion pricing toll map after incorrect charge

An early glitch in the MTA’s new congestion pricing plan has led to at least one Uber user being charged for traveling within Manhattan’s newly tolled zone, even though she did not.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed to Newsday there was an error in a map of the Manhattan toll zone provided to Uber. The mistake affected vehicles traveling to one specific building on 61st Street that includes a driveway that extends into 60th Street, within the tolled zone. The MTA said it has since corrected the map.

Fox 5 television news anchor Natasha Verma took to TikTok Wednesday to complain that she "got hit" with a $1.50 fee for an Uber ride she recently took from 67th to 61st streets in Manhattan.

Under the MTA’s Central Business District Tolling Program, which launched Sunday, vehicles traveling south of 60th Street are charged a new toll. For trips made via for-hire vehicles, the toll is charged to riders in the form of a fee of $1.50 for app-based vehicles like Uber and 75 cents for taxicabs.

"There’s a gantry at 60th Street. [I] didn’t even get there, yet Uber still hit me with this charge," Verma said in her TikTok post.

Verma later revealed that Uber had refunded the fee and blamed the problem on a map of the toll zone provided by the MTA that Uber was using to automatically charge customers.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said in a statement that the agency "is providing taxis and for-hire vehicle companies a map update to prevent trips ending in the off-street driveway at 420 East 61st Street from being charged the congestion fee." Donovan said the MTA is not aware of any additional people being affected by the issue.

In a statement, Uber spokesman Freddi Goldstein said that the company has "confirmed with the MTA that that was an error on their part and have updated our pricing algorithm so that block is no longer included in the congestion zone."

Goldstein said any trip that incurred a fee because of the incorrect map will be refunded.

"Moving forward, unless the MTA again tells us otherwise, only trips that begin, end or travel on 60th St. and below will be charged the congestion zone fee," Goldstein said.

Returning to TikTok to address the issue Wednesday night, Verma urged other Uber customers to check their receipts to make sure they are not being wrongfully charged.

"If I didn’t complain about it or notice the extra tax on my receipt would this issue have been fixed?" Verma said.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.