New York Governor Kathy Hochul is reviving the city’s congestion pricing plan, which would toll drivers entering Manhattan’s busiest sector. In June, Hochul abruptly halted the program, shortly before tolling was set to begin. But with President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to kill congestion pricing his first week in office, the governor has renewed the plans with a reduced $9 rate for passenger cars entering the borough below 60th Street. The MTA board approved the revised plan and will increase tolls gradually over the next six years, with the base rate rising to $12 in 2028 and reaching the originally proposed $15 by 2031.
There are a few steps remaining before congestion pricing can kick off. Following their vote, the MTA will conduct a 60-day public education campaign. New York officials are also racing to get federal approval from the Federal Highway Administration (a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation) before Trump’s inauguration. If the plan is enacted, tolls would begin at midnight on January 5, 2025.
Under the revised program, extra per-ride surcharges would begin at 75¢ for taxis and black cars, $1.50 for Ubers and Lyfts, $4.50 for motorcycles, $14.40 for small trucks and charter buses, and $21.60 for large trucks and tour buses. Eligible low-income drivers would receive a 50% discount after their 10th toll each month. Tolls would apply to vehicles entering Manhattan by bridge, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge, as well as any of the four tunnels.
