With congestion pricing tolls set to be a reality for drivers as soon as June, the MTA is holding two final public hearings.

The plan to charge vehicles at least $15 for entering Manhattan below 60th Street was signed into law back in 2019. The hearings: brimming with both opposition and support for the toll. 

“Absolutely opposed to what I can only describe as a daylight robbery under the guise of congestion pricing,” Queens Councilmember Bob Holden said at one hearing. “This scam tax is a slap in the face to every hardworking resident of this city.”

What You Need To Know

  • With congestion pricing tolls set to be a reality for drivers as soon as June, the MTA is holding two final public hearings

  • The plan to charge vehicles at least $15 for entering Manhattan below 60th Street was signed into law back in 2019. The hearings: brimming with both opposition and support for the toll

  • The hearings will not stop the program from being implemented, and are unlikely to change the tolling structure

  • The MTA said it will take all testimony into account when finalizing exemptions and any adjustments

Transportation policy analyst Jason Wagner, meanwhile, said congestion pricing “promises substantial benefits, like generating enough revenue to fund $15 billion in capital spending.” 

“These resources are essential to ensure the MTA’s infrastructure is brought to and kept in a state of good repair,” Wagner said. 

The hearings will not stop the program from being implemented, and are unlikely to change the tolling structure. But the MTA said it will take all testimony into account when finalizing exemptions and any adjustments.

There have been calls for exemptions from many groups, but the MTA has been clear they want very few.

“No picking favorites. Everyone is treated the same. As we’ve said many times, the more exemptions are granted, the more other people have to pay,” the MTA’s deputy chief of external relations, Juliette Michaelson, said.

The program faces several lawsuits, which could delay its implementation. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy filed one of them. The lawsuit alleges the program discriminates against New Jersey drivers. 

Elected officials from across the Hudson River testified Monday against the program. 

“This plan was concocted unilaterally as a way to fix years of physical mismanagement at the MTA without consideration for the greater metropolitan area,” Bergen County Executive of New Jersey Jim Tedesco said. “This is nothing but a shameful money grab that will detrimentally hurt all of New York City’s neighbors.”

The written public comment period runs through March 11. Under the plan, drivers of cars will pay $15 dollars, while drivers of trucks, depending on size, will pay $24 through $36, and motorcycles $7.50. Vehicles will only get tolled once per day 

The MTA has a final vote that will take place before implementation expected in June.