The Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB) report has revealed that civil servants, including NYPD officers, firefighters, and teachers, will not be exempt from the $15 congestion charge.
The board’s plan impacts all drivers, denying 122 groups who were seeking exemptions including civil servants commuting in private vehicles.
The decision applies to all motorists entering Manhattan’s Central Business District, located south of 60th Street, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
The TMRB, responsible for recommending toll structures to the MTA board, emphasized the importance of limiting discounts and exemptions to keep overall toll rates low and encourage changes in travel patterns to reduce congestion.
Mayor Eric Adams, addressing the proposal, said, “I think the $15 proposal is the beginning of the conversation.”
Adams emphasized the importance of community input in deciding who will receive exemptions under the new congestion pricing plan and who will not.
The mayor advocated for including exemptions, particularly those related to medical treatment.
Adams said, “I think that anyone that’s driving into the city for luxury purposes or convenience, they need to pay whatever the price is.” He continued, “Those who are there for necessities such as a medical treatment that is mandatory by a certain professional, we need to take that into account,” he added.
The report also noted that drivers entering the congestion zone through Manhattan tunnels would receive toll credits.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy strongly opposed the plan, highlighting its financial burden on commuters and potential environmental impacts.
Murphy said, “As advertised, New York is officially sticking it to Jersey families with their commuter-crushing Congestion Tax. On top of the existing tolls, it’ll be 15 bucks every day to go into the city with no discounts at the George Washington Bridge — thousands of dollars a year just to drive to work. If it wasn’t costly enough, the Congestion Tax will also increase toxic, cancer-causing pollution in Jersey.”
The pricing plan is projected to generate an annual revenue of $1 billion, which will support the MTA in funding repairs, enhancements, and expansion projects across its extensive network of subways, railroads, and buses, with a budget of up to $15 billion.
The 2019 state legislation allowing for congestion pricing mandates certain exemptions, including for vehicles transporting people with disabilities, ambulances, garbage trucks, NYPD vehicles, and fire trucks.
Additionally, residents of the toll zone earning less than $60,000 annually will receive a tax credit equal to their toll expenses. The plan also proposes a 50% discount for low-income drivers after their first 10 trips in a month.
