Skip to main content

New York mayor urged to consider tolling to reduce city congestion

The de Blasio administration this week unveiled plans to tackle the New York's congestion crisis. Several of the new initiatives rely on enforcement, such as offences like the blocking of yellow boxes, blocking of bike and bus lanes and double parking. Other strategies revolve around managing curb space.
June 7, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The de Blasio administration this week unveiled plans to tackle the New York's congestion crisis. Several of the new initiatives rely on enforcement, such as offences like the blocking of yellow boxes, blocking of bike and bus lanes and double parking. Other strategies revolve around managing curb space.


However, City Council members maintained that anything short of congestion pricing that would de-incentivise driving wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Advocacy group MoveNY, which has consistently lobbied for congestion pricing, has again suggested that the city impose a congestion charge on motorists driving on Manhattan’s most crowded streets.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the city would impose a US$2.75 fee on cars entering Manhattan’s central business district south of 60th Street. Trucks would pay a higher fee, while taxis and other for-hire vehicles would pay a congestion surcharge based on travel within the zone.

If this came to pass, the group says, “New York City could raise about US$1 billion a year through the plan, which could pay for improvements to roads and bridges, as well as subsidise MetroCards for low-income households and improve bus service.”

Several council members have expressed their approval of the MoveNY proposal, but early indications are that de Blasio will not take the plan into consideration, says Curbed New York.

Related Content

  • May 19, 2017
    Comprehensive communications combats tolling resistance
    Toll road operator must provide clear, comprehensive and consistent communications to user groups and the local community long before the facility opens. When new tolled highway infrastructure is about to go into service, the construction, management and finance specialists who brought it into being are about ready for a well-deserved celebration. But for the communications and outreach team responsible for building public support for the project – for bringing drivers to the road, and keeping partners and
  • December 5, 2014
    Small toll agency adopts big city thinking
    Andrew Bardin Williams looks at a novel option for new toll road authorities. While somewhat politically controversial, outsourcing has gained traction in the business world as a model worth investigating for its efficiency and cost saving benefits. Lean start-ups tend to employ independent contractors instead of full-time employees in an effort to remain flexible and avoid costs associated with pensions, retirement places, health insurance, office space and benefit packages.
  • June 10, 2025
    Cracking the congestion code
    ANPR is the unsung hero of decarbonisation, says Debbie Zeng of Milesight
  • February 1, 2012
    South Africa's traffic management and enforcement gears up
    Paul Vorster, CEO of ITS South Africa, takes a look at the national enforcement situation in the year when the country gears up to host the FIFA Soccer World Cup. There are four main drivers pushing the growth of ITS-related law enforcement within South Africa. These are: transport operations associated with hosting the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010; traffic management linked to increasing congestion; the development of new public transport systems such as BRT; and vehicle and driver-related crime.