New York City has announced that it will move forward with a congestion pricing plan that will cost drivers driving through Manhattan. The plan, which has been talked about for decades, will take effect in June and would be a first of its kind in the country.
Drivers will now be hit with a $15 toll during the “peak hours” of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. during weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. For off-peak hours, tolls will cost $3.75.
Those catching a taxi would have to pay an additional $1.25 per ride, while Uber and Lyft would cost an additional $2.50.
What kills me is that politicians are not seeing the potential consequences of their actions. This is how lemmings go off cliffs. We need to understand the world has changed post COVID & act accordingly
Tonight I joined @SullyCNBC to discuss this and more 👇🏻 https://t.co/XdCcCfkSPF
— Melissa DeRosa (@melissadderosa) April 5, 2024
The plan was authorized by former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in 2019. Ironically, he now opposes it.
“Many things have changed since 2019 and while it is the right public policy, we must seriously consider if now is the right time to enact it,” Cuomo wrote last month. “What impact will an additional $15 entry surcharge have on New York City’s recovery in this moment — when the migrant crisis, crime, homelessness, quality of life and taxes are all pressing problems?”
Cuomo is correct. New Yorkers are being hit with several problems all at once, and being forced to pay extra money to travel with inflation crippling many will certainly not help matters.
The former governor is not alone in the opposition. Six lawsuits have already been filed against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), including one from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D).
As hearings get underway in New Jersey’s lawsuit to stop NYC’s tax on NJ commuters, it is my hope the judge recognizes how this plan will unfairly penalize middle class New Jerseyans and undercut our shared environmental and congestion goals by not sharing a cent with NJTransit.
— Rep. Mikie Sherrill (@RepSherrill) April 4, 2024
“You are not eliminating pollution, you are just displacing it from Manhattan to New Jersey,” Murphy told ABC 7. “And you’re charging our commuters an exorbitant fee on top of that.”
According to the outlet, over 400,000 Garden State residents commute to New York City.
New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing is also suing MTA.
“It’s going to kill Broadway,” Susan Lee, the group’s president, told Axios. “You’re going to charge me $15 to come in to see a play, in addition to what I’m already spending?”
Since the plan will cost drivers a lot of money, there will be a discount that drivers who make less than $50,000 a year can apply for. Drivers who also enter using the Lincoln, Holland, Battery and Queens-Midtown tunnels will also receive a discount since they would also have to pay a toll.
