New York City’s congestion pricing plan is now in effect as of January 5, 2025. This initiative aims to reduce traffic congestion in Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD), defined as the area below 60th Street. Here’s what you need to know:
What is Congestion Pricing?
Congestion pricing imposes a fee on vehicles entering Manhattan’s CBD during peak hours to alleviate traffic, improve air quality, and enhance the quality of life.
How Does It Work?
- E-ZPass Users: The congestion fee is automatically deducted from your account.
- Non-E-ZPass Users: You’ll receive a bill by mail sent to your vehicle’s registered address.
Tolling Details:
- Tolling Locations: Tolling equipment is installed at various entry points to the CBD, including major avenues and streets below 60th Street.
- Exemptions: Vehicles that remain on the FDR Drive or West Side Highway without exiting onto CBD streets are exempt from the congestion toll.
Congestion Pricing Costs for Uber, Lyft, and Taxis
The congestion pricing tolls for for-hire vehicles, including rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, as well as taxis and black cars, are structured differently than for private vehicles:
- Taxis, Green Cabs, and Black Cars: $0.75 per trip, regardless of peak or overnight hours.
- Uber, Lyft, and Other Large For-Hire Vehicles: $1.50 per trip.
These charges apply to all trips into, out of, or within Manhattan below 61st Street. Importantly, these vehicles are exempt from the standard $9 peak or $2.50 overnight daily fees applied to private vehicles entering the congestion zone.
Who Pays the Toll?
The toll is charged to riders, not drivers. When a ride involves a toll, the cost of the toll is automatically added to the passenger’s fare. The driver pays the toll upfront and is then reimbursed by the ride-hailing company.
What Are the Hours?
Peak Hours:
- Weekdays: 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM
- Weekends: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Off-Peak Hours:
- Weekdays: 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM
- Weekends: 9:00 PM to 9:00 AM
Existing Tolls for Uber, Lyft, and Taxi Riders
For-hire vehicles already pay a congestion fee for trips within Manhattan south of 96th Street:
- Taxis: $2.50 per trip.
- Uber and Lyft Rides: $2.75 per trip.
With the new congestion pricing program, the additional $0.75 (for taxis) and $1.50 (for Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare services) charges will be added on top of these existing fees, compounding the total cost per trip.
This means riders may see higher overall fares for trips within the designated congestion zone, as both the existing and new charges are applied.
Free Routes to Avoid Congestion Pricing Tolls
If you’re passing through Manhattan without stopping, there are specific routes you can take to avoid the congestion pricing toll. However, if you exit onto local roads at or below 60th Street, the toll will apply.
Brooklyn Bridge
- Brooklyn-Bound: Take the southbound FDR Drive to the Brooklyn Bridge without incurring a toll.
- Manhattan-Bound: Use the northbound FDR Drive after entering Manhattan to avoid the toll.
- Important Note: If you’re coming from the Brooklyn Bridge and take the southbound lanes of the FDR Drive, you’ll enter the street grid below 60th Street and be charged.
Tunnels and Bridges with Toll-Free Options
Queensboro Bridge
- Upper Level: Drivers heading from Queens to the Upper East Side can exit at 62nd Street, just before the congestion pricing zone, and avoid the toll.
- Lower Level: Taking the lower level of the bridge into Manhattan or continuing south past 62nd Street will trigger the toll.
Exempt Routes
Trips made entirely on the following roads are excluded from congestion pricing fees:
- FDR Drive
- West Side Highway
- Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street
By sticking to these toll-free routes and avoiding exits below 60th Street, drivers can save on congestion pricing charges.
