Congestion pricing in Manhattan starts Sunday. Here's what to know

Beginning Sunday, most motorists will have to pay $9 for driving below 60th Street in Manhattan, as New York’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing plan takes effect in an area traversed by 700,000 vehicles daily.

The MTA's Central Business District Tolling Program aims to generate revenue for transit projects and discourage motorists from driving into one of the most congested areas in the United States. Its long-awaited launch follows decades of debate over the merits of congestion pricing, and a few false starts, including when Gov. Kathy Hochul paused the plan weeks before it was originally set to take effect in June.

Hochul brought back the plan in November, with a lower toll rate, and rushed to get the retooled program approved by federal officials before President-elect Donald Trump — a vocal congestion pricing opponent — takes office later this month.

Congestion pricing has also, so far, withstood multiple legal challenges — some of which are still playing out in courts. A federal judge Friday night denied an attempt by New Jersey to halt the plan.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials have already spent more than $600 million on the new tolling system, and say they’re ready to turn it on at midnight. But many New Yorkers still have questions about how congestion pricing will work. Here are some answers, as provided by the MTA and other project officials.

Is the toll in effect everywhere in Manhattan?

No, only in the "congestion relief zone," defined as 60th Street and points south, except for the FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street. But if you turn off any of those roads onto a street within the toll zone, you will be charged.

How much will I have to pay?

During peak hours — 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends — the toll for most vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks and small vans, will be $9 for E-ZPass customers and $13.50 for those without E-ZPass. Toll rates are less for motorcycles and more for large trucks, up to $21.60. During overnight hours, tolls will be discounted by 75% to $2.25 for most vehicles.

The MTA initially intended to charge 25% more on "gridlock alert days," but Hochul recently nixed that plan. Full information on toll rates is at congestionreliefzone.mta.info.

What if I drive into Manhattan more than once in a day?

Most passenger vehicles will only be charged the toll once per day, regardless of how many times they leave and reenter the congestion zone. Daily caps on tolls are different for certain kinds of commercial vehicles.

Will I be charged for driving within the congestion zone if I entered it a previous day?

No, cars will only be charged for entering the congestion zone, and not for driving within it or exiting it on subsequent days. But if a vehicle begins a trip within the congestion zone, leaves it, and comes back in, it will be charged for entering the zone that day.

What if I’m in a taxi or Uber?

Passengers will be charged for congestion pricing in the form of an extra fee on every trip made to, from or within the toll zone — 75 cents for taxis and $1.50 for Uber, Lyft and other app-based for-hire vehicles. The fees remain the same regardless of the time of day.

How will the tolls be charged?

Cameras installed on gantries along the boundaries of the toll zone will take a picture of a vehicle’s license plate and charge the associated E-ZPass account, or send a bill in the mail to the registered driver if there is no associated E-ZPass account.

Will everyone have to pay the new toll?

Some vehicles will be exempt from the tolls, including those transporting people with disabilities. Exemptions will also be given to commuter buses and certain publicly owned, specialized government vehicles used to perform public works, including garbage trucks, street sweepers and snowplows. Vehicle owners earning up to $50,000 a year or enrolled in a qualifying government assistance program can also receive a discount of 50% off peak tolls after the first 10 trips in a calendar month.

What if I already pay a toll to enter Manhattan?

You’ll have to pay again, although maybe not as much. Drivers with E-ZPass entering Manhattan through the four tolled tunnels that lead directly into the congestion relief zone will receive a credit toward the new toll of up to $3 for most passenger vehicles. Those are the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. No credits will be given during overnight hours.

Will it still be possible to drive into Manhattan free?

Yes, as long as you stay on roadways excluded from the tolls. Drivers entering Manhattan over the four currently free East River bridges — the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge — would be tolled upon exiting below 60th Street. Using the upper level of the Queensboro Bridge will allow drivers to avoid the toll, because it lets out at 62nd Street.

Where is the money going?

Under the 2019 state law creating New York’s congestion pricing program, the revenue generated from the new tolls will go toward financing $15 billion in infrastructure projects in the MTA’s 2020-24 capital budget. Eighty percent will go to the New York City Transit bus and subway system, and 20% will be split evenly between the MTA’s two commuter railroads, Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road. Among the LIRR projects to be funded by the toll revenue is the purchase of new diesel locomotives and accessibility upgrades at Hollis station. The money will not go toward the MTA’s recently proposed $68 billion 2025-2029 capital plan, which has yet to be approved or funded by the state.

Will the toll rate go up?

Yes, but on a different schedule than other MTA tolls, which are set to increase sometime this year. The $9 base toll for most vehicles will increase in 2028 to $12 and again in 2031 to $15.

Will this really make a difference?

Hochul has said the new tolls will reduce the number of vehicles entering Manhattan’s central business district each day by about 13%, growing to 17% when the base toll rises to $15 in 2031. Under state law, the program must reduce congestion by at least 10%.

The MTA has said about 700,000 vehicles enter the congestion relief zone each day, and that the toll should eliminate between 80,000 and 100,000 of them. According to environmental review documents approved by federal regulators in November, the program will also reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled by 6.4% at the initial toll amount, growing to 8.9% as the rate rises. Project supporters say fewer vehicles in Manhattan will also mean reduced carbon emissions, safer streets and faster travel times, including for police, firefighters and ambulances responding to emergencies.

Because the new tolls could cause some drivers to find new routes to get to their destinations, project officials have acknowledged that some communities, like parts of the Bronx, could experience some negative impacts, including increased truck traffic and air pollution. The MTA has set aside $330 million to mitigate those impacts, including by planting more vegetation on roadsides and installing air filtration systems in schools near highways.

How will the success of congestion pricing be measured?

The MTA has said it has installed cameras and other technology throughout the boundaries of the congestion relief zone that "will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of congestion pricing." As outlined in the environmental review for the plan, "adjustments can be made if warranted." Blake Washington, Hochul’s budget director, said the state will "review the revenues that are coming in" from congestion pricing, "what the MTA can leverage off" of them, and "not increase those dollars unless we’re satisfied it’s absolutely necessary."

Is there any hope of stopping congestion pricing?

Several pending lawsuits from congestion pricing opponents — including a pair filed by the Town of Hempstead — are challenging the legality of the tolling plan, and, if successful, could force it to be paused for further study, or scrapped altogether. Federal Judge Leo Gordon's ruling Monday on a lawsuit filed by the State of New Jersey agreed that certain aspects of the plan were not thoroughly considered, but stopped short of ordering it to be halted. Republican federal lawmakers opposed to the plan are also hopeful that incoming President Trump — also a congestion pricing opponent — will order a more thorough review by the U.S. Department of Transportation. MTA officials have expressed confidence that the plan will withstand any legal challenges.

What should I do to prepare for congestion pricing?

To ensure they pay the lowest toll rate available, the MTA is encouraging drivers to sign up for E-ZPass and confirm that their E-ZPass accounts are linked to their vehicle’s current license plate. Drivers can also check whether they are eligible for an Individual Disability Exemption Plan at idep.mta.info, or for a Low-Income Discount Plan at lidp.mta.info. To further reduce costs, travelers can consider making trips to Manhattan outside of peak hours, when tolls are discounted by 75%, or using public transportation.

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.