NEW YORK (PIX11) – Congestion pricing will be implemented in New York City with a reduced toll after the plan was delayed back in June, Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Thursday.
The toll will now cost $9. The original plan was to charge cars entering Manhattan below 60th Street $15 during peak hours.
"$15 was too much," Hochul said during a news conference. "This lower toll will save daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually."
The tentative start date for the plan is Jan. 5, Hochul said. There will be discounts for low-income New Yorkers, like a 50% discount after the 10th toll of the month, and for drivers who enter Manhattan after 9 p.m.
Hochul has said she paused congestion pricing to help Lower Manhattan bounce back financially from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I cannot add another burden to working middle-class New Yorkers or create another obstacle to our continued recovery," Hochul said back in June.
Advocates have been pushing Hochul to unpause the plan since June. They were worried that President-elect Donald Trump could “terminate” congestion pricing during his first week back in office as he promised in a social media post from May.
Hochul said the new plan will raise $15 billion for the MTA to improve the transit system. Congestion pricing is expected to pay for signal system modernization, the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 extension, hundreds of electric buses, accessibility improvements at over 20 stations and LIRR and Metro-North upgrades and improvements, according to Hochul.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy promised to continue the fight against congestion pricing in court in a statement on X.
"All of us need to listen to the message that voters across America sent last Tuesday, which is that the vast majority of Americans are experiencing severe economic strains and still feeling the effects of inflation," Murphy said. "There could not be a worse time to impose a new $9 toll on individuals who are traveling into downtown Manhattan for work, school, or leisure."
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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