How much could the NYC congestion plan cost you?

Now that NYC's controversial congestion pricing plan is officially back with a $9 toll starting on January 5, 2025 (with an increase to $15 already scheduled for 2031!), it's time we start figuring out how, exactly, the new measures will affect our day-to-day.

There are a few things to keep in mind when analyzing how much congestion pricing might cost you specifically, from the car that you'll be driving into the designated zone to your income and more. Furthermore, non-driving related activities will also be affected by the changes: restaurants and grocery stores, for example, will have to account for supply chain price increases as well, which will likely trickle down to your Saturday night dinner bill.

Before you start panicking, let us break it down for you.

Cost of driving into Manhattan

The New York Times released an incredibly detailed and easy-to-use tool that breaks down how much vehicles will effectively have to pay to get into Manhattan base on the new congestion plan. You can play around with it right here. 

Although there are a lot of factors to keep in mind when calculating the exact price of your trip, here are a few general guidelines: cars with E-ZPass will pay a lower fee than those without one, both during peak hours (5am to 9pm on weekdays, 9am to 9pm on weekends) and off-peak times. The good news: if traveling into the city using a tunnel that already has a toll, you'll be given a credit to offset the price of the new toll.

Taxis and ride sharing services will bake a new per-trip fee into their prices: $0.75 for cabs and $1.50 for Ubers and Lyfts.

Cost of food in Manhattan

It's a simple argument: if trucks driving into Manhattan to deliver ingredients and foods to restaurants and grocery shops will now have to pay a toll to complete their tasks, the price of the very goods that their deliveries lead to will also increase.

Although we'll have to see how the new guidelines actually play out, it's important to note that certain distributors may try to absorb as many of the new costs as possible.

According to Governor Kathy Hochul's office, though, the overall claims regarding congestion pricing raising food costs are unfounded.

"The program will make deliveries easier and faster," an official spokesperson said to Eater New York, specifically citing reduced tolls during overnight hours, which, according to the outlet, "will range from $2.25 to $5.40, offering a 75 percent discount for businesses making overnight deliveries."

Real estate prices

The real estate market is directly related to where people want to and can afford to live.

With that in mind, we can imagine property values within the congestion zone to increase, with New Yorkers seeking out areas with less noise and traffic. That being said, neighborhoods requiring folks to use a car to commute into the city may decrease in value (in response to lower demand) whereas areas within walking distance of major districts may see an uptick in demand (and, therefore, price).

Just about anything is possible, basically.