Planning to visit New York City? Here's how congestion pricing may impact you
Jan 05, 2025
NEW YORK (WPIX) – New York City's congestion pricing kicked off on Sunday, meaning drivers entering Manhattan at or below 60th Street will now have to pay a $9 once-daily toll.
But if you're visiting New York City as a tourist, do you also need to pay up? Will your rideshare from the airport be more expensive?
Here's how congestion pricing affects visitors coming to the Big Apple.
Will you have to pay the congestion pricing toll?
If you're planning to use Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare services, you'll be charged an additional $1.50 per trip if you enter Manhattan's Central Business District. The cost of the toll falls on the passenger, not the driver.
If you decide to take a yellow cab, green cab, or black car, you'll have to pay $0.75 per trip.
Where is the congestion pricing zone?
The congestion pricing zone, also known as Manhattan's Central Business District, starts at 60th Street - or, essentially, south of Central Park - and continues to all the roads south. You can see where the congestion zone is below.
A map shows where congestion pricing tolls will apply in Manhattan. (MTA)
The FDR Drive, West Side Highway, and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel are all excluded from the congestion pricing plan – as long as you don't exit into Manhattan at or below 60th Street.
What are some alternatives to paying the toll?
If you want to save some money on your trip, the MTA recommends taking the subway and bus. Each ride costs $2.90.
Lyft is also crediting passengers the $1.50 toll until the end of January.
For those driving in the area, the cost of the congestion pricing will depend on what time of the day it is and if drivers have an E-ZPass, an electronic toll collection system that's used in many states.
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Most drivers with E-ZPasses will get dinged the $9 fee to enter Manhattan south of Central Park on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. and on weekends between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. During off hours, the toll will be $2.25.
The MTA's goal with congestion pricing is to improve infrastructure and reduce traffic in Manhattan. Some celebrated the start of the plan, while others argued it's an unfair burden for drivers.
President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has vowed to kill the program when he takes office, but it's unclear if he will follow through. The plan had stalled during his first term while it waited on a federal environmental review.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.