Are You Ready To Pay Toll For Entering Manhattan?

Times Square is called the heart of America and it is within the most attractive and busiest city. Yes, I am talking about  New York City. Who doesn't want to visit it? 

New York City consists of 5 boroughs including New York ( Manhattan), Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and the Staten Island. The core city is Manhattan surrounded by East river to the East and Hudson river to the West. It has 9 bridges and 3 tunnels from where people enter to the city. Among this 3 tunnels and only 2 bridges have tolls. However, governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a bill in which everyone has to pay 10 to 16 dollars toll to entering Manhattan. New York City will be the first US city to charge motorists extra to enter the busiest areas starting before April 1, 2021.

 The proposal, billed by state governor Andrew Cuomo’s office as “Central Business District tolling” will charge a yet-to-be-determined fee to vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street to downtown Manhattan.

The tolls would apply to any motorists entering Manhattan below 60th Street, but the FDR Drive north of the Brooklyn Bridge would remain free. This would  give cars a way around the toll zone. The zone is proposed $2 to $5 surcharges on taxi and black-car trips would extend north to 9th Street. Passenger vehicles would pay $11.52 to enter the central business district, whereas commercial trucks would pay $25.34. Taxis, Ubers, Lyfts, and other for-hire vehicles would be subject to a fee of between $2 and $5. According to The New York Post on March 29,  80% of congestion revenue could go to the city’s subway and buses, and 10% each to the Metro-North and LIRR commuter rails.
The toll could be collected by installing a device like EZ pass.

Now, the question is why this toll was proposed? 

First of all to reduce mass traffic. Secondly, keep city moving by speeding up traffic. Thirdly, to improve air quality. And the big thing is the official estimated $1 billion yearly income to improve city transit system. 

Even though the proposal was imposed to motorists, there is exception. People who live in that zone, would be free of charge upon entering or leaving the from the city. Also, cyclists and skateboarders would be free of charge.  Emergency vehicles, vehicle which carrying disable people and motorists who using FRD and West Side High Way to pass Manhattan would pay toll too. 

Although New York City will be the first city in the United States to impose toll upon entering in the city, it is not the first in the world. London Stockholm and Singapore have been going through it for few years. According to London city officials,  after pricing for a year, the city traffic went down by 18%, traffic delay went down by 30%, vehicle speed increased by 1.2% ( from 8.8 to 10%)  and air quality improved by 12% by reducing nitrogen oxide and other particles in the air.