Congestion Pricing

Congestion pricing is NYC's tolling program that charges a fee on vehicles entering the Manhattan Central Business District (CBD) — defined as anywhere below 60th Street. It went live on January 5, 2025, making NYC the first U.S. city to implement a cordon-based congestion charge. The program was designed to reduce traffic, fund MTA capital improvements, and advance Vision Zero goals.

For commercial fleets, the impact is significant: small trucks and buses pay a higher toll than passenger cars, and multi-unit or tractor-trailer trucks pay the highest rate — reaching over $20 per peak-hour entry in early 2025 and scheduled to rise over time. Tolls are collected electronically via E-ZPass, and non-E-ZPass vehicles pay a surcharge. Drivers who enter the zone via one of the four tolled tunnels (Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown, Hugh L. Carey) receive a crossing credit.

Fleet operators making repeated daily deliveries into Manhattan face meaningful new operating costs, and unpaid tolls can escalate to civil judgments just like parking tickets. Clear Plates tracks congestion pricing exposure alongside DOF and OATH violations so fleet managers can see the full cost of serving Manhattan in one place.