New York will move forward with its first-in-the-nation plan to charge drivers extra in tolls to enter the core of New York City, part of an effort to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and raise funds for the city's public transit system, the AP reports. The program is expected to begin in spring of 2024, bringing New York City, one of the most congested cities in the United States, in line with places like London, Singapore, and Stockholm that have implemented similar programs. Drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street will be charged a certain fee that still needs to be decided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is overseeing the long-stalled plan.
The congestion pricing plan cleared its final federal hurdle after getting approved by the Federal Highway Administration, a spokesperson for New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which also oversees the city's trains, buses, and commuter railroads, still needs to decide on any exemptions or discounts to the final toll rates. "With the green light from the federal government, we look forward to moving ahead with the implementation of this program," Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Under one of several tolling scenarios, drivers could be charged up to $23 a day in an attempt to reduce the number of motorists on the road, according to an environmental assessment report released by officials August. Under that report, an estimated $1 billion in revenue from the tolls would be generated yearly, which would be used to finance borrowing to upgrade the city's mass transit systems. The state Legislature approved a conceptual plan for congestion pricing back in 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic combined with a lack of guidance from federal regulators stalled the project.
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