New York City is slated to begin congestion pricing in less than two months, after a regional transit authority gave crucial approval this week.
The nation’s first urban congestion-pricing program will charge car drivers $15 to enter the famously hectic Midtown and Lower Manhattan, home to Wall Street, Broadway theaters and glass-and-steel skyscrapers.
The vote Wednesday by the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs mass transit and commuter rail in the New York City area, is the strongest signal that a plan launched five years ago will proceed. The plan, however, still needs final approval from the Federal Highway Administration and must overcome lawsuits and the fury of residents from Long Island to New Jersey.
New York’s congesting pricing is expected to start in June and could encourage cities across the U.S. to explore similar programs to reduce traffic and lower vehicle emissions. Some European cities, such as London, use congestion pricing.
