It’s been nearly a year since Congestion Charge cameras started appearing overhead in Hell’s Kitchen. At midnight on Sunday, June 30, they will be switched on and start charging New York drivers.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber made the announcement yesterday during an interview with Eyewitness News. In peak hours, the $15 toll will be charged for cars driving below 60th Street in the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan.
The MTA has installed cameras at more than 100 locations around Manhattan — many in Hell’s Kitchen, around the Lincoln Tunnel and the West Side Highway. The cameras will tag E-ZPasses and photograph license plates.
“Ninety percent-plus of the people come to the congestion zone — the central business district — walking, biking and most of all taking mass transit. We are a mass transit city and we are going to make it even better to be in New York,” said Lieber as he announced the official start date.
Lieber said that as congestion pricing starts at midnight on Sunday, the first users will only be charged the nighttime fare of $3.75. Drivers will not pay the full $15 fee until 9am Sunday — and cars are only charged once a day, no matter how many times they exit or enter the zone.
Officials believe the toll will result in 100,000 fewer vehicles daily. “Five years after the legislature made congestion pricing New York State law, and with 4,000 pages of analysis, hundreds of hearings and outreach meetings behind us, New Yorkers are ready for the benefits — less traffic, cleaner air, safer streets and better transit,” said Lieber.
Trucks and buses pay a toll of between $24 and $36 at peak times, which is reduced overnight to $6 and $8. Motorcycles pay a reduced charge of $7.50. If you travel in a taxi, $1.50 will be added to fares, while Uber and Lyft rides will incur a $2.50 charge.
Yesterday, the MTA unveiled a new portal that explains eligibility for discounts or exemptions — including a low-income discount plan, expectations for disability, buses and some government vehicles.
Local reaction in Hell’s Kitchen was predictably mixed, but one significant thread was frustration that there was no exemption for those living inside the congestion zone. Many compared the situation to London, where residents register and get a 90% discount on the tolls.
“They are soooo ugly! Scary! Police State! Watching like Big Brother! The minute I come out of my garage on 42nd Street where I live, they are right there! So to get on the street, it costs me $15,” said Joanne Lotsko.
Mirjana Vicari shared a personal example of how the new tolls would affect her. “This is ridiculous! I live and park in a building where there is a camera toll right outside our car garage. We use the car on weekends to drive to PA to take care of Grandma. So I’m getting charged to exit my garage and drive two blocks into the tunnel TO LEAVE THE CITY! And again to enter just to park,” she said.
Others welcomed the implementation of the charging. “Excellent news!” said former Manhattan Community Board 4 Chair Jeffrey LeFrancois. “Turn them on already! Enough talk,” said Preston Marshall.
Forrest Rocco Leone was concerned about price rises and the future of the Theater District. “It’s going to increase prices below 60th Street in the zone and people that live here shouldn’t have to pay it if they live below 60th Street. It’s going to kill the Theater District — just wait and see what happens,” he said.
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West Bank Cafe owner Steve Olsen shared similar concerns around tourism. “Say goodbye to local tourism,” he said.
Hell’s Kitchen resident Kerry Byrne told us: “As it is in London, [this is] an elitist scheme to remove from the streets the teeming dirt-faced horde of working people for the ease and travel convenience of UN diplomats, the wealthy and politicians and politically connected. They’re replacing the Toyota Corolla of the Queens cleaning lady with the SUV caravans of the Beautiful People. It will merely make the public roadways of Midtown less equitable.”
Joe Bergmann, a Manhattan Plaza resident, said: “From what I understand the environment doesn’t stop at 60th Street. I am retired. My wife will soon be. We are not wealthy but need our car to get around. Luckily we can park our 25-year-old car in our building for a modest fee. Now, every time we exit, are we to be charged for a trip to and from our garage? This is a money grab that will negatively affect Manhattanites. Sounds like overpriced consultants were hired to reinforce what the MTA already decided. The blocked bus lanes, nearly empty bike lanes, double-parked delivery trucks and old restaurant sheds — it’s almost as if the MTA made traffic worse to justify the charges.”
Danny Chandross welcomed the tolls and pointed to the disproportionate space that cars use in the City compared to pedestrians and cyclists, saying that he was “beyond thrilled!” He added,”It’s far past time people who use orders-of-magnitude more of our public spaces than the average Manhattanite pay their fair share!”
The MTA’s rollout of the Congestion Charge may still encounter some roadblocks, as multiple lawsuits have been filed in three separate federal courts.
Rockland county residents need more mass transit buses and trains to nyc
All this is is a money grab from New Yorkers to fund the mismanaged MTA, and give more money to illegals. So now the areas above 60th Street will be parking lots!
Time to leave NYC for good.
“Give more money to illegals” ..? You think the money handled by the ‘City’ actually gets paid out to illegals ? You gotta be kidding! .. And to fund the mismanaged MTA .. absolutely/ for sure!
Where’s the oversight I wonder? There ain’t any..
Thank you!
Not only drivers are going to feel this – every “congestion zone” resident is going to see price increases across the board as trucking and delivery costs are passed on to us. This is going to push out both struggling businesses and lower income residents who can’t afford the added costs.
Thank you!
Kudos to Electeds for doing the right thing for people, health, climate and the environment. From case studies it seems these measures are hard initially then everybody comes to love it. Interesting pod from Volts:
https://www.volts.wtf/p/how-much-can-urban-land-use-policy
Money grab! Not a good plan for New Yorkers especially those who live or have businesses in the zone.
Sure…expand the bike lanes plot out huge walking paths, retain out dated enclosures for dining and then say “oh there’s too much traffic??”
Well, you’ve diminished the amount of lanes on ninth and 10th Ave. substantially and you wonder why there is traffic?
I’ve witnessed the horrible traffic on ninth Avenue for decades and to be honest with you, it has not gotten worse over time because fewer people are driving into the city. When you take it to consideration the diminished traffic lanes it’s about the same!
Again our electeds have let down the people in our district. Some of them are fighting to get an exemption for those who live in the zone, some are sitting quietly in city council meetings like the see no evil monkeys.
And our own businesses on 8,9, 10th Avenue are going to suffer. The Midtown area is also the theater district! What were they thinking?
Why didn’t they phase in this plan?
Start with Much lower tolls.
Start off charging out of state license plates.
Start off with an exemption from Manhattan residence.
Start off with off peak hours that makes sense. The entire film industry would benefit if the congestion pricing began at 6 AM rather than 5 AM.
Examine how the plan is working in two years and ADJUST after we know the facts.
But again this wasn’t thought out that’s why there’s so many lawsuits.
I can’t resist pointing out that a comment excited to “start already” is the owner of an old model gas guzzling Cadillac!!
Is someone in on the Money Grab?
Sorry for typos. Im using voice texting
Correction: the comment from person who owns gas guzzler is quoted saying “exciting news”
Unfair to residents of Hell’s Kitchen who pay to garage a car and need to drive to health appointments because the subway system is dangerous and some of the older stations do not have elevators or escalators.
The main cause of the Congestion is vehicles that,”Block the Box.” The simple fix is to hire more traffic cops and raise the fine for blocking the box to $500.
I personally went in to the middle of the intersection and directed traffic. I stopped the cars from blocking the box and waved the bus I was trapped in one spot for 45 minutes on straight through. I stayed for 3 light changes and traffic moved smoothly. As soon as I stopped directing traffic it went right back to a standstill because they all blocked the box again thereby causing CONGESTION.
Mayor Bloomberg changed the ZONING laws and allowed all these high rises to go up, displacing New Yorkers and long standing businesses,(because they raised rents impossible to afford to make way for the skyscrapers,(that are mostly empty). The tenants had no choice but to leave but had nowhere to go. That is when our homeless crisis exploded . The numbers increased exponentially. Skip to our current state, now everyone wants to blame immigrants for our homeless crisis and our uptick in crime. No. The police no longer arrest anyone for petty crimes. The number of homeless plus their need for basic food and goods invites crime and violence, including gun violence and hate crimes… This is a domino effect that will increase even more due to Congestion Pricing. Congestion Pricing does NOTHING for anyone living in THE ZONE or the city. All the money goes to the MTA to make the stations look pretty. The escalators still won’t work, the subways still won’t be safe.
Long Island, New Jersey as well as our own Burroughs won’t come to their favorite restaurants, bars or specialty shops anymore because they can find a new place that won’t punish them for wanting to do business. Broadway will suffer!! The addition of Casinos and amusement park rides will also turn The Zone in to an unrecognizable disaster area.
To stop congestion, stop cars from blocking the box and give the money to the police and the homeless shelter social services. That’s what we need.
To stop the Officials from destroying the City, let them know who you plan on voting for in the next election.
It boggles my mind that as a resident I’m going to be charged to come home. I’m not commuting “to the city” I live here. Why do I have to pay come home from work or from visiting family out of the “zone”. Insane that residents are included in this charge.
I totally agree,it is unfair and places an unfair financial toll on residents, many of whom are of an older generation, who rely on their vehicles to get to appointments. If we lived in Paris I would have no complaints the Metrro’s are clean, comfortable and safe
Same here
Why are residents not getting a discount?!?
Because this plan isn’t focused on actually reducing congestion, it’s focused solely on raising money. The imagined reduction in traffic is just a side effect, but it’s how they pushed this ridiculous plan through.
The only metric governing this plan is how much money it raises, not how much traffic it reduces. It’s an absolute scam.
broadway ticket prices r going to zoom to the sky
It all dates back to mini Mike Bloomberg. When the city became an outdoor cafe was the beginning of the misery. When major roads were blocked off to allow for cafe tables and coffee. Make the city more like Europe. Well NYC is not Europe.
Traffic was never really good but it was dealt with then the stupid pedestrian cafe areas and road closures made it worse. But then Oh let’s add bike lanes and get rid of viable lanes. Lets make 3 and 4 lane avenues into 2 lanes was not even the final straw .. Then came the rat huts of Covid and that was it. Restaurants SURVIVED pre covid WHY must everyplace now have a rat hut on the street?
As many have said.. EVERYTHING will now start going up. Deli prices, laundromattes, restaurants, bakeries, liquor stores etc. Any type of business that gets a delivery to then sell will pass that onto the all ready struggling residents.
Say what you will but it all stems back to Bloomberg.
In three or four years after this has taken affect, most people who live in the city will wonder why it wasn’t done long before. Americans dependence upon the automobile has to be reduced. Public transit is the future, whether you accept it or not
MTA wants CP to get funds so it actually wants vehicles.
(BTW CP won’t decrease fares or help bus riders)
Bicycle lobby wants CP to get rid of vehicles for space to expand bike lanes.
Two entities with opposing reasons.
Waooo es lo más injusto que e podido ber muchos que trabajamos en new jarsey nos veremos obligados a dejar el trabajo ya que yo mismo pago 15 dollar diario por el holland tunel ahora 15 más que injusticia este mundo ba de mal en peor Dios mio