The implementation of congestion pricing in manhattan advances as The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued a letter of sufficiency regarding the environmental assessment performed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
The Central Business District Tolling Program, also known as congestion pricing, was first proposed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the transit crisis in 2017 and could impose a toll on drivers below 60th Street ranging between $9 and $23 per day. The plan is integral to funding the MTA’s $55 billion capital plan adopted in early 2020, with about $15 billion expected to come from congestion pricing.
The proposal has been guided strongly by real estate interests, which form the backbone of an advisory board approved by the MTA in July 2022.
The MTA views the plan as a generational opportunity to make it easier for people to get around in Manhattan’s central business district by reducing traffic and funding improvements to the public transit system.
The Congestion Pricing Now Coalition believes that the FHWA’s letter signals that New York will soon be able to move forward with a proven and effective program to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and generate the funding needed to upgrade and expand the public transportation system that millions of riders across the region rely on every day.
What is congestion pricing?
Congestion pricing, also known as value pricing, is an innovative approach to tackling traffic congestion. It leverages market dynamics to reduce the inefficiencies associated with traffic congestion. By imposing premium charges during peak demand periods, congestion pricing incentivizes road users to eliminate low-value trips, take them at different times, or choose alternative routes or modes of transportation.
In some cases, planning technique is implemented on specific traffic lanes rather than the entire highway facility. This approach gives users the option to choose between paying for congestion-free priced lanes or continuing to travel on general-purpose lanes without paying a toll.
