New Jersey got a victory in their fight against congestion pricing. While charging drivers steep tolls to enter Manhattan south of 61st street is still set to happen in June, New Jersey communities will now get a cut of the cash. NBC New York’s Andrew Siff reports.
What to Know
- Cars will be charged an additional $15 to enter Manhattan at 61st Street and below, while trucks could be charged between $24 and $36, depending on size. It could take effect as early as mid-June; only a lawsuit can stop it now, and the MTA says it doesn't expect that to happen
- There are some planned exemptions. Most of those will likely include government vehicles. Yellow school buses with a contract with the DOE are also in the clear, as are city-owned vehicles
- The MTA board overwhelmingly voted to approve congestion pricing in December, saying charging drivers to enter a swath of Manhattan would contribute millions of dollars to the aging transit system
New Jersey will get a share of the money when Manhattan's congestion pricing plan goes into effect this summer, MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber announced Wednesday.
Lieber didn’t specify how much, but it figures to be millions of dollars for key counties like Bergen and Hudson — and likely several others. He said New Jersey's share would be divvied following the same formula already ascribed to neighborhoods expected to see a rise in traffic, like the Bronx, once congestion pricing starts in eight weeks.
"The way that all of this is determined is allocations by the number of people impacted by truck traffic, and New Jersey will get its share exactly on the arithmetic," said Lieber.
Specifics weren't immediately available. Any towns or municipalities in the designated impact zone, like Hoboken and Jersey City, for example, would be due to receive benefits.
It could represent a notable shift in the legal stalemate over the plan, as the issue was a major sticking point in New Jersey's federal lawsuit challenging the congestion pricing plan. It cited undue impact. A judge isn't expected to rule in that case until next month.
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"There is not a single dollar committed for mitigation in New Jersey," said Randy Mastro, the state's lead attorney in the lawsuit, saying the MTA was being too stingy.
News
Gov. Phil Murphy's office didn't immediately return a call for comment Wednesday. Previously, the Democrat slammed the proposal as a "blatant cash grab," calling it a "discriminatory" and "unfair tolling scheme."
The apparent concession by the MTA did not appear to mean New Jersey will relax its opposition, according to Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
"This 'Hey we’ll toss you a buck on the side to take care of you, Jersey' is not acceptable to me," said Gottheimer.
And yet, the plan is on. In late March, all but one MTA board member green-lit a plan that will, in less than two months, start charging cars $15 to enter Manhattan below 61st Street. Trucks will see higher tolls.
All 110 toll readers are installed, positioning the MTA to begin collecting as soon as June 15. Federal judges on either side of the river could delay the plans, but the MTA has said it expects those legal challenges to fail.
Congestion pricing itself was approved in December. The MTA board voted overwhelmingly in favor, saying charging drivers to enter a swath of Manhattan would contribute millions of dollars to the aging, cash-strapped transit system. The MTA has said the plan will deliver $15 billion that will help pay for new trains and signals, as well as other fixes.
How does congestion pricing work?
Congestion pricing will impact any driver entering what is being called the Central Business District (CBD), which stretches from 60th Street in Manhattan and below, all the way down to the southern tip of the Financial District. In other words, most drivers entering midtown Manhattan or below will have to pay the toll, according to the board's report.
All drivers of cars, trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles would be charged the toll. Different vehicles will be charged different amounts — here's a breakdown of the prices:
- Passenger vehicles: $15
- Small trucks (like box trucks, moving vans, etc.): $24
- Large trucks: $36
- Motorcycles: $7.50
The $15 toll is about a midway point between previously reported possibilities, which have ranged from $9 to $23.
The full, daytime rates will be in effect from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. each weekday, and 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the weekends. The board called for toll rates in the off-hours (from 9 p.m.-5 a.m. on weekdays, and 9 p.m. until 9 a.m. on weekends) to be about 75% less — about $3.50 instead of $15 for a passenger vehicle.
Drivers will only be charged to enter the zone, not to leave it or stay in it. That means residents who enter the CBD and circle their block to look for parking won't be charged.
Only one toll will be levied per day — so anyone who enters the area, then leaves and returns, will still only be charged the toll once for that day.
The review board said that implementing their congestion pricing plan is expected to reduce the number of vehicles entering the area by 17%. That would equate to 153,000 fewer cars in that large portion of Manhattan. They also predicted that the plan would generate $15 billion, a cash influx that could be used to modernize subways and buses.
Can I get a discount?
Many groups had been hoping to get exemptions, but very few will avoid having to pay the toll entirely. That small group is limited to specialized government vehicles (like snowplows) and emergency vehicles.
Low-income drivers who earn less than $50,000 a year can apply to pay half the price on the daytime toll, but only after the first 10 trips in a month.
While not an exemption, there will also be so-called "crossing credits" for drivers using any of the four tunnels to get into Manhattan. That means those who already pay at the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel, for example, will not pay the full congestion fee. The credit amounts to $5 per ride for passenger vehicles, $2.50 for motorcycles, $12 for small trucks and $20 for large trucks.
Drivers from Long Island and Queens using the Queens-Midtown Tunnel will get the same break, as will those using the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Those who come over the George Washington Bridge and go south of 60th Street would see no such discount, however.
Public-sector employees (teachers, police, firefighters, transit workers, etc.), those who live in the so-called CBD, utility companies, those with medical appointments in the area and those who drive electric vehicles had all been hoping to get be granted an exemption. They didn't get one.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew, one of the lead plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit again congestion pricing, said following the MTA approval that now it's the courts' job to step in.
"Now that the MTA board has voted, it is going to be up to the courts to prevent the huge environmental injustice that threatens families outside the Manhattan congestion zone, including communities that are already suffering some of the worst air pollution and asthma rates in the country," Mulgrew said.
