The MTA board voted 12 to 1 on November 12, 2026, at its Manhattan headquarters to formally approve a revised Central Business District Tolling Program. Passenger motor vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street will incur a base daytime toll of $9, representing a 40% reduction from the originally planned $15 charge. The statutory congestion pricing initiative is scheduled to commence enforcement on January 5, 2025.
The $9 daytime passenger rate will apply between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekends. Overnight non-peak transits will receive a 75% discount, lowering the fee to $2.25. Small commercial trucks will pay $14.40 per entry, while large multi-axle freight haulers will be charged $21.60. The MTA approved a graduated adjustment framework that elevates the base passenger toll to $12 in 2028 and reinstates the original $15 benchmark by 2031.
MTA transit planners’ simulation studies indicate the $9 toll will reduce daily vehicular entries into the central business district by approximately 17%, removing an estimated 100,000 cars each day. The program is modeled to generate approximately $1 billion in net annual toll proceeds. Under New York state law, the MTA will leverage this revenue stream to issue up to $15 billion in municipal transit capital bonds. Motorists earning under $50,000 annually who complete ten qualifying tolled trips in a calendar month will receive a 50% discount on subsequent trips. New Jersey and suburban municipal leaders filed federal lawsuits in United States District Court, alleging diverted freight traffic will increase localized particulate pollution in Fort Lee and Jersey City. Plaintiffs have requested preliminary judicial injunctions to halt the January implementation date. Engineers with the Federal Highway Administration are concluding verification audits regarding the amended environmental assessment documents.
