Where you will pay (and not pay) tolls in Manhattan

It is easy to say congestion pricing is in effect in Manhattan. But what does that mean in terms of tolls in the borough?

In short, most motorists will pay a $9 base toll when they enter Manhattan anywhere south of and including 60th Street during peak hours between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The toll rate drops to $2.25 during off-peak hours.

But where are the “toll plazas?” Are any streets excluded? Are there any roadways in Midtown or Lower Manhattan that are free to enter?

amNew York Metro mapped out the points in Manhattan where drivers have to pay to enter the Congestion Relief Zone (CRF). In addition to crossing south over 60th Street, eight bridges and tunnels lead into the zone. These include the 59th Street, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges and the Hugh Carey, Midtown, Lincoln, and Holland Tunnels.

This means drivers will pay a toll after using these crossings almost all of the time. They will also get charged for crossing over 60th Street from Upper Manhattan.

There is a small handful of route exceptions that remain free, specifically if drivers remain exclusively on highways.

Now, let’s examine some commonly used routes, less-traveled routes and where drivers will pay the congestion pricing toll.

You’re driving from upstate New York and Bergen County, N.J. You just crossed the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan, which is a toll-free bridge. Do you pay a toll?

No. The George Washington Bridge is out of the CRZ. As long as you stay above 60th Street, you’re in the clear.

But if you’re heading even just one block south of the CRZ, get ready to shell out the cash.

Ok, now you’re in Queens, and you want to cross town to your destination in Hudson County, N.J. You’re simply going straight across. Do you have to pay?

Yes. Crossing Manhattan East to West from Queens will incur a toll because you will likely use the Queensboro Bridge or Queens Midtown Tunnel.

What about the other East Side crossings? Do they have tolls, too?

Yes. All the East River crossings, including the Williamsburg, Queensboro, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges and the Queens Midtown Tunnel, now have tolls to enter Manhattan’s CRZ.

What if you live in the CRZ, and leave for the day to visit friends in New Jersey or anywhere outside of the zone. Will you have to pay when you return?

Yes, but the good news is you will only be charged once a day. So if you leave your home multiple times a day to go out of the CRZ, you’ll only be charged that first time you leave, even if it is during off-peak hours.

Additionally, a discount is available for residents who make less than $60,000 a year.

What if you’re heading into Manhattan from Staten Island and Brooklyn? The Hugh Carey Tunnel, which already has its own toll, is a main thoroughfare for these outer-borough commuters. Do you pay a toll?

It depends. You will not be charged a toll if your car stays exclusively between the tunnel and West Street or the FDR Drive on the East Side.

But if you leave the tunnel onto Trinity Place or anywhere else in the CRF, you’ll be charged.

What if most of your commute driven along Midtown and Lower Manhattan’s two main highways: the West Side Highway and FDR Drive? Do you pay a toll when you get off at one of the exits?

Likely, if the exits are south of or including 60th Street.

What if you don’t have E-ZPass? Do you pay more?

Yes. Drivers will pay 50% lower congestion pricing tolls if they have E-ZPass versus getting the charge by mail. MTA officials urge drivers to make sure their E-ZPass accounts are up to date with current license plate numbers to guarantee the lowest toll, which is the $9 base toll during peak hours.

How are the tolls collected?

The MTA finished installing 1,400 cameras at over 110 detection points throughout the city last year to monitor traffic entering the CRZ.

It might surprise drivers to know detection points are actually located in areas along the excluded roadways. According to the MTA, vehicles detected at multiple detection points in sequence and are then detected exiting the CRZ in a “reasonable” period of time, will not be charged.

In a nutshell, the system will charge a toll only if a vehicle is no longer detected on the excluded roadways.