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Clarity — finally — on one angle of congestion pricing for Downtown residents
Back in early July, when I did this post on congestion pricing, I went back and forth with the MTA press office to gain some clarity on how local residents would be charged when driving around local streets south of 60th Street. I provided several scenarios that they did not answer but instead referenced a couple of different documents (which I read) and made it clear to me then that cars would be tolled when driving through “detection zones” that existed south of 60th, as well as when exiting the highways.
“We want to provide that clarity right now,” the MTA wrote recently. In the scenarios that I had included, they wrote, trips that begin and end south of 60th Street, “those trips would not be charged.” Here is more detail:
Question: Will Central Business District (south of 60th Street) residents who begin and end their trips in the CBD be tolled?
Answer: If a vehicle driven by a resident or other person does not enter or exit the CBD Toll Zone during the trip, it would not be charged. A vehicle would also not be charged a toll if it uses one of the excluded roadways (the West Side Highway/Route 9A, the Battery Park Underpass, or the FDR Drive) for a trip that begins and ends within the CBD. Vehicles that cross 60th Street (and vehicles that leave through any of the bridges or tunnels) for a trip that begins and ends within the CBD would be charged.
Some examples:
- A vehicle leaves the Hudson Tower parking garage at the end of Albany Street in Battery Park City and goes to Rockefeller Center via the West Side Highway, FDR Drive, or local streets. The vehicle would not be charged.
- A vehicle leaves East 10th Street and Broadway and travels south on Broadway to Broadway and Chambers Street. This vehicle would not be charged.
- A vehicle leaves the Empire State Building and goes to the Waterside Plaza garage on local streets, crossing under the FDR Drive from East 23rd St to Waterside Plaza. This vehicle would not be charged.
- A passenger vehicle is moved from West 58th Street between 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue in compliance with NYC DOT Alternate Side Parking regulations. The driver chooses to turn north on 10th Avenue and cross West 60th Street before circling, turning south on West End Avenue, crossing West 60th Street again, and parking again on West 56th Street between 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue. This vehicle would be charged.
In addition, tolling equipment that is to be set up around the Holland Tunnel — what we discussed as “detection zones” in the map below — will be for tunnel traffic only. So if you cross through those boxes, but do not enter a tunnel or cross a bridge, you will not be tolled.
It is also my understanding that if you drive from WITHIN the CBD — us in Tribeca — and use the highways to stay WITHIN the CBD, you will NOT get tolled. The detection points will scan you, but unless you leave — by going through a tunnel or bridge or across 60th Street, you will not get tolled.
This makes a lot more sense and I am glad we finally got here.
129 Comments
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I know that for now this congestion tax is no t happening l, but I’d still like to know: I live on 24th st and 3rd Ave. I only use my car on weekends to visit family in Westchester area. My garage is on 24th and 2nd and I enter and exit the FDR at 23rd st to go north. Will I get charged every time I get out of the city?
You would get charged once when coming in.
would love to know how charging $9 to get a car from 63rd street to literally leave the city through the Lincoln tunnel — removing a car from Manhattan — makes sense.
They take take take but all we’ve seen for our taxes lately is free housing and meals for people who cheated the system to get here. How much funding would they get from cracking down on turnstile jumpers? I see dozens a day… but no…let’s go after those pesky drivers.
Literal highway robbery — and just as business are starting to get people back in the office. Commuters don’t want to ride the subways anymore bc laws are not enforced…I don’t blame them. I take it daily and have been in more unsafe situations the last 2 years than my entire 15 years in the city. We pay SO MUCH in taxes here once you’re anywhere close to middle class if you don’t get out, they’ll price you out…
if any lawmaker in the city can read this — please stop governing like you absolutely hate us. We stuck with this city through the pandemic, riots, and beyond — but it’s too expensive here. Middle class families are being pushed right out. How much is enough?
Imagine a government that takes your money, gives it to non-citizen violent criminals. They then give one of those criminals a taxpayer-funded flight to another state where they allegedly murder a 22 yr old nursing student out for a jog. Actually, you don’t have to imagine that — bc it literally happened on our dime. And now they want more.
Because your car is entering a zone that is highly congested, where people who want to take a bus downtown are impacted by your ride. I have a car, leave in the CBD zone and I would prefer not to pay a fee, but it is necessary.
If I am traveling from Brooklyn to the Bronx, crossing the Brooklyn bridge, onto the FDR to Dyckman Street, wold I be charged?
No. The highways are exempt.
If I take the Brooklyn bridge to the west side highway via chambers street (exit) will I be charged?
Thank you
Yes. The point is to keep cars out of the grid.
I live in the CBD (FiDi) my parking garage entrance is on the West Side Highway (not on the side streets/city grid) will I be charged to enter my garage when coming back into the city if I’m on the West Side Highway or FDR?
You will be tolled when you ENTER the zone, either by coming in through/on a tunnel/bridge or by crossing 60th Street in any fashion.
I’m coming from 125th and 2nd Ave and I take the westside highway to 56th St. my job is on 59th and 10th Ave do I pay any tolls coming off on 56 St?
Yes, you will pay as soon as you enter the grid off the highway.
How about if you do not see any cameras on the block you are entering. For example on 46th st if I turn off the west side highway heading toward 11th Ave, how am I getting charged. I see signs saying beginning of toll zone. But no cameras.
Dunno, but there should be camera infrastructure. They said they are installing cameras at 120 points.
Which points? Has anyone seen a map where the cameras are off the west side highway and fdr?
I live on Spruce St. and take the FDR to the GW Bridge to drive to Albany. Returning same way, exiting the FDR at Exit 2. Will I be charged both ways? Or if I went to the Holland Tunnel to leave the city, would I be charged.
You only get charged entering, and then only once a day.
I was driving northbound on the FDR, got off at the 34th St / Midtown Tunnel exit, stayed on the road under the FDR (i.e., the service road), did NOT turn left on 34th St to enter the CRZ street grid, but continued straight on the service road and got back on the FDR northbound, yet I was charged the $9 fee. Why??
There must be a reader that you are entering the grid as you leave the FDR Drive.
If I live in Rector Place and drive to Regó Park, do I have to pay the congestion toll? I take the FDR to then go to the Brooklyn bridge
Yes