What will congestion pricing cost for commuters?
NEW YORK (PIX11) – How much money will congestion pricing really add to your monthly expenses?
The new tolls go into effect Sunday, charging drivers between $6 and $13.50 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak weekday hours. There is a lot of variance in the cost based on the day of the week, the time of day, and where a driver enters.
Here’s a breakdown of some cost scenarios under new congestion pricing tolls:
For a driver with an E-ZPass, it will cost $9 to enter Manhattan during peak hours, between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends.
For an E-ZPass driver coming into Manhattan three days a week during peak times, those tolls will add up to around $117 per month. If you’re entering the city every weekday, that comes to around $196 each month.
Using the Holland or Lincoln tunnels will bring the cost of each trip down by $3, dropping the monthly total for a driver entering Manhattan five days a week to around $131 per month. For a commuter entering three days a week, it becomes $78 monthly.
Using the Queens-Midtown or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel decreases the peak period toll by $1.50 per trip.
Without an E-ZPass, each peak toll comes out to $13.50. The monthly total for a driver entering the city three days a week is around $176 and just under $300 for a five-day commuter. Crossing credits will not be applied to cars without an E-ZPass.
So, what about discounts? The Low Income Discount Plan cuts peak tolling prices in half after the driver pays 10 full-priced tolls in a month. This means discount drivers will still pay at least $22.50 per month for non-peak trips and between $60 and $90 per month for peak trips.
Then, trips become $4.50 during peak times or $1.50 during peak times using the Holland or Lincoln Tunnels.
For a discounted driver commuting into the city five days a week, the monthly cost would range from $40 per month to just over $142.
Methodology: Sums were calculated based on an average of 4.35 weeks per month.