What to Know About NYC's Congestion Pricing for Drivers — and How It'll Impact Taxis and Rideshares

06.01.2025 - 19:19 / travelandleisure.com

Driving into the heart of New York City just got more expensive thanks to a long-anticipated congestion pricing plan that went into effect this week.

The congestion pricing plan, which started on Sunday, will now charge most passenger vehicles headed into the busiest parts of Manhattan $9 during peak times and $2.25 during off-peak times. The congestion pricing zone includes all of Manhattan below 60 Street, but does not include the outer highway roads like the FDR Drive or West Side Highway.

Peak hours are from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Drivers will only be charged once per day on their E-ZPass, and drivers entering a tunnel — including the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel — will receive a discount on the toll.

Travelers who ride in taxis will have to pay a surcharge of 75 cents per trip and Uber and Lyft riders will be charged $1.50 per trip. For its part, Lyft told Travel + Leisure the company would credit riders the $1.50 for the month of January, which could be used the following week.

The goal of the congestion pricing plan is to reduce traffic and raise money for public transportation improvements. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) projected congestion pricing will lead to 80,000 fewer vehicles in the busy area each day.

“Funding public transportation is a good thing, however, Lyft understands it’s grown more and more expensive to live in and visit NYC,” the rideshare company wrote in a statement shared with T+L. “This [credit is] a small gesture to help people adjust to another new expense — even as Lyft works to reduce the overall cost of rides in 2025.”

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement the implementation of the project has “gone smoothly” and hopes drivers now “take another look at the speed and convenience of mass transit.”