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How much will you actually pay for congestion pricing in NYC? Use our map to find out.

By

Liam Quigley

Published Dec 31, 2024

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Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Image

By

Liam Quigley

Published Dec 31, 2024

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Starting Jan. 5, drivers will pay a base toll of $9 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street with the launch of congestion pricing.

At face value, the toll structure set up by the MTA seems simple enough. But many drivers will pay far more than $9 to enter the congestion zone because of a dizzying array of exemptions, technicalities and tolls that are already in place.

The true cost to drive into Manhattan south of 60th Street depends on the time of day, type of vehicle — and where someone is entering the zone. Want to figure out how much you’ll actually pay? Our map below breaks down exactly what charge to expect.

To make the math even more complicated, the Port Authority is scheduled to hike its own bridge and tunnel fees the same day congestion pricing goes live (the price increase reflected in the map above). And the MTA and Port Authority have differing definitions of “peak periods,” adding another layer of confusion.

The MTA will charge its $9 base toll for passenger vehicles during its peak hours, which run from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. At all other times, those drivers will be charged just $2.25.

On the other hand, the Port Authority defines “peak” hours as weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends form 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. During all other hours, passenger vehicle drivers pay $2 less than the peak rate to cross from New Jersey into New York.

During the Port Authority's and the MTA’s overlapping peak periods, passenger vehicle drivers coming from New Jersey through the Lincoln or Holland tunnel who have E-ZPass will pay a $16.06 Port Authority toll and a $9 congestion pricing toll — while receiving a $3 crossing credit from the MTA. That means they’ll pay $22.06 to enter the congestion zone each day, or about $5,700 a year for a driver who commutes five days per week.

The Port Authority and MTA have different definitions of "peak" periods

Congestion pricing peak hours (Manhattan south of 60th Street):

• Weekdays: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Weekends: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Port Authority peak hours (Holland and Lincoln tunnels):

• Weekdays: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Weekends: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For passenger car drivers who head into Lower Manhattan via the Battery Tunnel or the Queens-Midtown Tunnel during the MTA’s peak hours, the $9 congestion charge is cushioned by a $1.50 credit. However, the discounted charge is tacked on to the MTA’s existing tunnel tolls, so those drivers will pay a total of $14.44.

Larger vehicles like trucks and buses will pay even more. But even their fees are obscured by the MTA's and Port Authority’s dueling regulations.

The Port Authority tolls trucks on a per-axle basis, while the MTA’s congestion pricing plan only classifies trucks as “large” or “small” to determine how much they will pay. And thanks to a carveout in the state law authorizing congestion pricing, any driver can avoid the charges altogether if they remain on the West Side Highway, FDR Driver or Battery Park Underpass without every accessing a local street

A large truck with three axles heading into Midtown via the Lincoln Tunnel on a Monday morning from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m will be tolled $73.64 — $65.04 by the Port Authority and $21.60 by the MTA, which in turn offers a $12 crossing credit to big rigs using either tunnel.

Motorcyclists, which take up far less space on the road, will pay far less. If someone on a motorcycle heads over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan at 3 a.m., they’ll pay just $1.05 – less than half the price of a subway fare. A New Jersey-based motorcyclist heading to the city at the same hour will have to pay $14.11 to enter the city via the Holland Tunnel because they’re paying both the Port Authority tunnel toll and congestion charge.

The launch of congestion pricing may also discourage a big travel hack for many drivers in the city: The Port Authority doesn’t toll New Jersey-bound drivers. But as of Jan. 5 there will be no way for drivers to cross through Manhattan to the Lincoln or Holland tunnels without paying a congestion charge.

Tagged

new york city

manhattan

brooklyn

queens

new jersey

transportation

Liam Quigley

Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

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