NEW YORK CITY, New York: New York officials are planning to implement a plan that would use license-plate readers to turn all of Manhattan south of Central Park into one giant toll zone.
Under the new scheme, most drivers in private cars would pay a congestion fee of at least US$15, or $22.50, if they are not enrolled in a regional toll collection program.
The new fees add to existing tolls to enter the city via some river crossings, such as the $13.38 to $17.63 charged for driving a car through the Lincoln or Holland tunnels.
Officials hope the new charges will lead to fewer traffic jams, reduce air pollution, and provide funding worth some $1 billion for the city’s subway and bus systems, which are used by some four million riders daily.
New York could, therefore, become the first U.S. city to join a handful globally with similar congestion pricing schemes, including London, Stockholm, Milan, and Singapore, which is credited with implementing the first such program in 1975.
Michael Manville, professor who chairs the urban planning department at UCLA, said that U.S. cities should take heed of the related experiences of London and other cities that have implemented congestion charges.
“There are always going to be carve-outs. But the further and further you start going down that road, there lies madness,” he said.
Passengers using Uber, Lyft, and other app-based rides in Manhattan will also be charged an extra $2.50 per trip, while taxis and black car riders will be taxed $1.25. Those fees come on top of a $2.75 congestion charge already imposed on for-hire rides in Manhattan.
Trucks and for-profit buses will also have to pay fees ranging from $24 to $36.
Congestion fees will be in effect on weekends and will be reduced during quieter evening hours.
John McCarthy, chief of policy at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said, “We need to reduce the number of cars being used if we are serious about dealing with the congestion that is clogging roads.”
