Traffic In New York, tolls now apply to parts of Manhattan
In New York, a controversial vehicle toll for parts of the city center came into force on Sunday. This toll is intended to reduce the notorious traffic jams in the US metropolis.
05.01.2025, 10:13
SDA
If you want to drive into Manhattan south of Central Park, you now have to pay a daily fee of nine dollars. This makes New York the first city in the USA to levy such a toll.
Governor Kathy Hochul justified the measure by saying that car traffic in these areas had "too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers". Originally, it was even supposed to be 15 dollars per day. In November, following fierce protests, Hochul then announced that it would be nine dollars. The money raised was to be used for the metropolis' subway system, among other things.
Among others, surrounding communities of New York City had protested against the toll. They argued that a toll would harm their businesses and affect their residents' ability to commute to Manhattan. Cab drivers were also up in arms against the project: although they do not have to pay the toll themselves, their customers have to pay a surcharge for journeys to the toll areas.
Opponents of the charge are now also pinning their hopes on future US President Donald Trump. The native New Yorker had announced that he would abolish the toll if elected to the White House.
According to official surveys, around 700,000 vehicles enter the toll zone in Manhattan every day. Eternal traffic jams mean that cars only travel at an average speed of around eleven kilometers per hour - in some districts they "crawl" even slower, according to the city administration.
