The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for New York City’s Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP), also known as congestion pricing, following a 30-day public review of the Final Environmental Assessment.
The program will charge vehicles a toll for traveling in Manhattan south of and inclusive of 60th Street, excluding through-traffic on the Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, West Side Highway, Battery Park Underpass and roadway portions of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connecting to West Street.
With the FONSI issued, the project’s next step will involve the Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB) developing a recommended toll structure. If TMRB sticks with its adopted timeline, drivers entering the Central Business District can expect to pay a new toll as early as May 2024.
“Now the real work begins. The [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] (MTA) Board, in its capacity as the [Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority] Board, must adopt a tolling structure and contractors need to set up tolling equipment throughout the tolling area. The result will be reduced traffic congestion and the establishment of one of the funding pillars for the MTA’s historic 2020-2024 Capital Program, a historic level of investment to make upgrades that will bring the network to a State of Good Repair, enhance accessibility, accelerate climate resiliency and eliminate transit deserts,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.
Local and New York state officials, as well as advocacy groups issued statements supporting the advancement of the planned tolling district. However, New Jersey officials did not share in the program’s praises.
U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), who formed a caucus focused on opposing congestion pricing, vowed to continue to push back against the plan.
“As we move into the next step of this process, we will continue to evaluate our legislative options to prevent this scam from coming to fruition, sound the alarm so other cities don’t make the same mistake and stand in support of [New Jersey] Gov. [Phil] Murphy's efforts to take legal action should New York City and state proceed with this blatant war on commuters,” the representatives said.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
