A congestion pricing scanner is shown above the north-bound side of Broadway, between West 60th and 61st St. in Manhattan, Thursday, November 2, 2023.
© Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(New York, NY) – Depending on what side of the Hudson River you hail from — Manhattan congestion pricing is either settled — or it isn’t. Following a New Jersey judge’s decision on Monday, New York officials with the MTA said congestion pricing could go forward on January 5, 2025. New Jersey officials had argued the MTA failed to properly vet the environmental impact of the plan, in terms of additional truck traffic and pollution in parts of the Garden State.
Because the judge is requiring official documentation in a remand, New Jersey says the plan still remains on hold. But the MTA insists it will begin tolling drivers for entering Manhattan south of 60th Street beginning on the 5th. On average, drivers will be tolled $9 per day. There are some discounts and exceptions depending on certain circumstances.
The revenue generated is supposed to go toward MTA capital projects, including long-delayed upgrades for the New York City Subway. But New Jersey officials, and some in the Bronx and Staten Island, argue its a plan that unfairly leans on motorists to try and fix mass transit. Plus, there’s widespread reporting of inefficiencies and unchecked growth of expenses at the MTA — including a recent New York Comptroller report saying the agency isn’t working hard enough to save money. Also, many economists say because delivery trucks and distributors are going to face a new toll — prices will go up for consumers in Manhattan.
