New York Joins World Cities with Launch of First-in-Nation Program to Deliver Cleaner Air, Less Traffic and Better Transit for the Metropolitan Area

Photo by Jimmy Teoh/Pexels

Auto Drivers Pay now a $9 Toll to Enter Manhattan South of 60^thStreet During Peak Hours

Major Transit Investments Move Forward Including Purchase of Zero-Emissions Buses, Second Avenue Subway Tunneling Contract, and Signal Modernization on the Fulton ​​A, C Line in Brooklyn

Motorists Encouraged to Sign Up for E-ZPass for Lowest Toll Rate, Discounts, and Tunnel Crossing Credits

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) activated the country’s first congestion pricing program, charging a toll for motorists to enter Manhattan below 60^thStreet, formally known as the Central Business District (CBD) – and now also referred to as the Congestion Relief Zone — as required by the State in April 2019 to reduce traffic congestion and raise needed revenue to improve public transportation. The program launched Sunday morning, Jan. 5, at 12:00:01 a.m. For auto drivers using E-ZPass, the peak toll for vehicles entering the CRZ is $9.00 and the overnight rate is $2.25. More information on the toll rates and the program is available at CongestionReliefZone.mta.info.

A study commissioned by the Partnership for New York City in 2018 found that average traffic speeds of just 7 m.p.h. led to 117 hours per person per year wasted sitting in gridlock and annual economic costs – ultimately passed on to consumers – of $20 billion a year. Those trends have continued, with New York currently ranked as the most congested city in the world, as reported last year by the New York Post, putting New York in the same position as London was before officials there implemented congestion pricing in 2003.

Yet the Congestion Relief Zone is also the most transit-rich area in the United States, with 94 subway stations, 99 MTA bus routes and 2,500 regional/commuter trains per day on the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, NJ Transit and PATH, allowing more than 85% of commuters into the zone to rely on transit.

The toll is projected to lead to 80,000 fewer vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone every day, resulting in less traffic, cleaner air, and safer streets, while providing $15 billion in funding for critical transit investments to improve the lives of the millions of people who rely on the MTA every day

During the years-long environmental review and toll-setting processes, hundreds of public meetings and 19 public webinars were held across the 28-county region, including meetings with different stakeholder groups, with a special focus on environmental justice communities. 10 public hearings totaling 56 hours were held and more than 102,000 comments were received from the program’s outreach periods.

As part of the multifaceted public education campaign, 11 public webinars with over 1,100 attendees were held in December, including webinars with a focus on the Low-Income Discount Plan (LIDP) and Individual Disability Exemption Plan (IDEP), going over eligibility and how to apply. 20 outreach events were held in the transit system, 200 informational messages were posted to official MTA social media channels and 10 informational updates in the form of a newsletter were sent to 6,000 recipients. Ads appeared in 46 newspapers covering nine languages and aired on multiple radio stations in 10 languages.

Details on discount and exemption plans are available online. Links to webinars with additional instructions on how to apply for the Low-Income Discount Plan (LIDP) and Individual Disability Exemption Plan (IDEP) are available on their respective webpages.

Better Transit

Eighty percent of the revenue generated will go to capital improvements on NYC Subways and Buses, 10% to Metro-North Railroad and 10% percent to the Long Island Rail Road. Additional projects supported by congestion pricing funds are detailed in an online summary and map.

A phased-in toll plan that starts at 40% of the eventual toll enables the MTA to issue $15 billion in bonds to fund the MTA’s 2020-2024 Capital Plan and advance critical capital projects helping subway, bus, commuter rail riders and motorists alike. After the pause on congestion pricing was lifted, the MTA exercised the option to purchase 265 zero-emission buses on Nov. 27. With congestion pricing having begun, the MTA has already started to advance additional capital projects, with these five the first to move:

• Second Avenue Subway Phase 2: The MTA issued a request-for-proposals to the contracting community for Phase 2’s major tunneling contract on Dec. 24.
• Modernization of signals A, C​​ line in Brooklyn: The MTA issued a request for qualifications to the contracting community on Dec. 30. The modernization will allow the MTA to operate trains more frequently and more reliably on the line serving 640,000 people per day.
• Subway station accessibility upgrades: The MTA issued a request for qualifications to the contracting community on Dec. 30 to upgrade three subway stations, Gates Av J, Z​​, Briarwood E, F​​ and Parsons F​, to make them accessible to all in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Reconstruction of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge’s ramps in Brooklyn: The MTA issued a request-for-proposals to the contracting community on Dec. 16.
• Dehumidification of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge’s main cables to extend their life: The MTA issued a request for proposals to the contracting community on Dec. 20.

Congestion Pricing moving forward also unlocks critical investments in MTA Bridges & Tunnels that were had been put on hold pending the start of the program. The MTA is already moving forward on the first two:

Train and Bus Service Enhancements

Subway.  Subway service continues to deliver the best on-time performance in the last 10 years. And between July 2023 and July 2024, New York City Transit increased off-peak service across 12 subway lines:

• On July 2, 2023, weekend service frequency was increased on the G, J​​ and M​ lines. The service increase would have trains arriving every eight to nine minutes instead of every 10 to 11 minutes.
• On Aug. 7, 2023, C​ trains began running every eight minutes instead of 10 minutes on weekdays.
• On Aug. 12, 2023, weekend service was enhanced on the 1​ and 6​ lines, with trains coming approximately six minutes instead of every eight minutes.
• On Aug. 28, 2023, weekday service was enhanced on the N​ and ​R lines, with trains arriving every eight minutes instead of every 10 minutes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the N​ and between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the R​ on weekdays.
• On Dec. 17, 2023, evening service was increased on the C, N​​ and R​ lines, and midday service was increased on the G​ line.
• On July 1, 2024, NYC Transit brought service frequencies to every eight minutes on the weekday midday and evening service on the B, D, J​ ​​and M​ lines, and added weekend service on the 3​ and 5​ lines to bring trains to operate every 10 minutes.

Buses. Starting in the spring, the MTA will enhance service across 24 routes in all five boroughs: eight express bus routes and 16 local bus routes.

Additionally, the MTA is redesigning all the boroughs’ bus networks to develop a better bus network that improves reliability, speeds up commutes and better meets the travel patterns of today and future riders. Most recently, the Agency announced the latest milestone for the Queens Bus Network Redesign with release of the Proposed Final Plan Addendum, and the MTA Board is expected to vote on the plan this winter. 

The Staten Island Express Bus Network Redesign and the Bronx Local Bus Network Redesign have been successfully implemented with notable service increases during off-peak periods and other service improvements, resulting in an increase of 6% ridership since launch. In coordination with NYC DOT, implementation of busways has led to 27% increases in bus speed and up to 60% increases when combined with other Select Bus Service (SBS) treatments.

Long Island Rail Road. With the opening of Grand Central Madison, systemwide service increased an overall 41%: over 77,000 more trains a year, about a 35 % increase at eastern Queens stations, 30% increase in Brooklyn trains (55% increase in weekend service), and 50% increase in reverse peak service. A $7 peak City Ticket was introduced for travel on the LIRR and Metro-North Railroad between commuter railroad stations within city limits, and an LIRR Far Rockaway ticket, offering more cost-conscious fare options.

Metro-North Railroad. To increase transit options and encourage ridership, Metro-North has increased service in the Bronx, which is complemented by discounts offered by the $7 peak CityTicket, and continues to deliver on-time performance levels of 98%. Metro-North increased monthly discounts by 78% to 90% on UniTickets covering travel on the ferries and buses that cross the Hudson River to connect riders with Metro-North’s Hudson Line, and slashed parking rates by 25% for Orange and Rockland residents using Metro-North’s garage in North White Plains

And as of Jan. 4, both railroads launched their “Winter Weekend” discount program, which enables monthly ticketholders to travel anywhere the railroads go and bring friends of family for just $1 each.

Both railroads closely monitor ridership are always ready to adjust trains schedules as conditions warrant.

Millions Dedicated to Environmental Justice Communities

The program provides $335 million in mitigation programs, including $148 in regional mitigation measures and monitoring of traffic, air quality, and transit station elements, and $82 million for the Low-Income Discount Plan. In addition, the program also committed $100 million in funding for place-based mitigation to 13 environmental justice communities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan and New Jersey: The Bronx: Crotona-Tremont, High Bridge-Morrisania, Hunts Point, Mott Haven, Northeast Bronx, Pelham-Throgs Neck; Brooklyn: Downtown Brooklyn-Fort Greene, South Williamsburg; Upper Manhattan: East Harlem, Randall’s Island; New Jersey: Newark, Orange, East Orange and Fort Lee.