Open Your Wallet, $15 Tolls Are Coming To New York

Are you planning a trip to New York City soon? Better get your wallet ready because you're about to be charged a new entry fee.

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The MTA board voted on a plan that will see most cars being charged a whopping $15 just to go to Manhattan's Central Business District. The plan is part of the congestion pricing proposal and it has been a hot topic for a while but now it's happening.

Anyone who wants to drive through Manhattan will have to pay a toll. The MTA hopes the toll will reduce vehicle congestion and improve transportation options. They estimate that the revenue toll will bring in an astonishing 1 billion dollars every year and the money will help with upgrades to the city's subway and bus networks.

Even though the MTA board voted in favor of the toll, it doesn't mean that it is a done deal yet. There is a four month public comment period so that we can share our feedback and bring up any concerns that we have.

What we don't know yet is who will and who won't have to pay the $15 toll to travel in Manhattan. Mayor Eric Adams says he thinks that there should be exemptions for emergency vehicles (I would hope they wouldn't charge a toll for those vehicles), medical appointments, school buses, and even the yellow cab industry which is struggling a lot right now.

The MTA board is all about the $15 toll, but commuters coming in from suburban areas are frustrated with how much they'll have to pay to go to work every day. With tolls set at $15 for cars, $7.50 for motorcycles, $24 for small trucks, and $36 for big trucks, it will certainly put a pinch in their pockets.

The current traffic congestion in Manhattan costs the city over $20 billion every year and the MTA thinks the toll will reduce traffic and help the economy of the city at the same time.