People wishing to enter the center of Manhattan by car will have to pay nine dollars at the urban toll starting this Sunday, January 5.
Transportation in New York is complicated. Traffic jams and unobtainable parking spaces confront the metro which is difficult to understand for the uninitiated, and above all very expensive. So, the solution for the state’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, is the establishment of an urban toll, as she announced in November. From this Sunday, January 5, motorists wishing to enter the island of Manhattan south of Central Park will have to pay nine dollars during the day, or 8.73 euros.
This decision was taken a few days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who does not hide his opposition to urban tolls, since they require the president’s approval. It turns out that Joe Biden and his administration are in agreement with its implementation. The aim of this toll, which is far from everyone agreeing, particularly in this country where the car is king, is to limit air pollution. It must be said that every day, 700,000 cars, taxis and trucks travel in the south of the island. The governor of New York State hopes that this urban toll will limit the number of vehicles. In addition, this should make it possible to partly finance the metro. This is widely criticized for its cost, at 2.90 dollars (2.81 euros) per trip, as well as for its dilapidation.
Who will have to pay?
For Donald Trump, this urban toll “will hit workers, families and businesses”. An observation shared by neighboring towns who estimate that it will be expensive for people who travel to Manhattan every day to work. An appeal was even filed by the neighboring state of New Jersey on Friday, with the argument of the harmful environmental consequences on adjacent regions, but a judge rejected it. Finally, taxi driver associations denounce an additional cost for their customers for each trip. But toll exemptions exist. In addition, people with low salaries will have toll reductions. Same thing for people who enter the area more than ten times a month.