Citizens Outraged Over Looming $15 Manhattan Congestion Toll

New York City is set to introduce a new toll in mid-June that will charge vehicles $15 to enter midtown Manhattan. The toll has been obstructed by lawsuits for years, but is now finally taking effect.

The new toll zone will be located in Manhattan’s central business district below 60th Street, south of Central Park. Major highways in the zone will be obstructed, but if drivers exit the road, they will be forced to pay $15.

The $15 is just for regular passenger vehicles. Here’s how much everybody is going to have to pay…

• -Passenger vehicles: $15
• -Small trucks: $24
• -Large trucks: $36
• -Motorcycles: $7.50
• -Taxi drivers: $1.25 per ride
• -Uber, Lyft, other ride-shares: $2.50 per ride

These prices will be charged during a ‘surge period,’ of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m on weekdays, and 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. A 75% lesser rate will be charged outside of these surge times, costing New Yorkers about $3.75 per vehicle.

New York City, despite collecting $18.5 Billion in taxes last year, apparently needs more sources of revenue. This toll has outraged the citizens of New York. AP reports…

Between bridge and tunnel tolls, parking fees and the ever-present risk of getting a traffic ticket, it can already cost a mint to drive into Manhattan.

Is forking over another $15 for the privilege of driving into the most traffic-choked parts of the island enough to finally get more people out of their cars and onto mass transit?

That’s the hope, at least among some New York officials.

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-manhattan-congestion-tolls-commuters-f79d4e47a289702fd45c3ee49256a12a

Drivers who are not enrolled in EZ Pass will be forced to pay upwards of $22.50 to drive in Manhattan. City officials have claimed that these new tolls are meant to encourage people to use public transportation.

Perhaps, Mayor Adams and New York should focus on making public transportation more cleanly, safe, and pleasant for New Yorkers, instead of charging citizens to drive on the roads that their taxes paid to build in the first place.