[New York Diary] "20,000 Won to Drive In"... Debate Over Manhattan Congestion Toll

When I was assigned as a New York correspondent, the biggest concern was housing. I struggled with whether to live in downtown New York or in nearby New Jersey. The cause was the rent. With the money barely enough to rent a studio or a one-bedroom apartment in New York, I could rent a two-bedroom apartment in New Jersey. In the end, I decided on New Jersey. I judged it reasonable to endure the inconvenience of commuting to New York and choose a relatively spacious home where my family would mainly stay.

It is the same for Americans. Many people who work in New York commute from neighboring states like New Jersey due to the burdensome rent. For this reason, the number of vehicles entering Manhattan from outside is increasing. People who moved to the suburbs after the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to this. The notorious traffic congestion is so bad that it is sometimes faster to walk within Manhattan, which is unwelcome news for New York City residents.

Therefore, New York City has introduced a 'congestion toll' system. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) decided to charge a toll for vehicles entering the commercial district south of 60th Street in Manhattan. Regular vehicles must pay $15 (about 20,000 KRW), trucks $24 to $36 (about 32,000 to 48,000 KRW), and motorcycles $7.5 (about 10,000 KRW). Taxis are not exempt either. Regular taxis must pay $1.25 (about 1,700 KRW), and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft must pay $2.5 (about 3,300 KRW). The MTA expects annual revenue of $1 billion (1.34 trillion KRW) from the congestion toll and plans to use it to improve the public transportation system, including maintenance of aging subways. Josh Gottheimer, a Democratic U.S. Representative from New Jersey's 5th district, estimates that the revenue could reach $3.4 billion (about 4.54 trillion KRW), three times the MTA's projection.

Ahead of the congestion toll implementation, expected as early as mid-June, the MTA held its first public hearing on the 29th of last month. About 100 people attended and engaged in heated debates for several hours. Barack Friedman, who lives in Midtown Manhattan, described the countless cars as being in an "uncontrollable" state and expressed hope that air pollution would decrease for the sake of his daughter who suffers from asthma. He appealed, "We desperately need congestion tolls. People in wheelchairs and strollers have to navigate between cars, buses can barely move, firefighters cannot reach fire scenes on time, and ambulances cannot get to patients."

On the other hand, Linda Nicholas, a New Yorker living in Manhattan who runs an equipment transport business, criticized, "Charging additional daily fees to people who barely earn enough to get by forces sacrifices in other areas like food expenses. I have to pay $15 just to return to my apartment because of my address." Republican U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis from New York's 11th district expressed concern that residents in outer areas might suffer from secondary effects such as additional traffic congestion and worsening air quality as cars try to avoid the congestion toll zone.

New Jersey even filed a lawsuit. In July last year, it demanded the federal government cancel New York City's congestion toll plan. New Jersey residents already pay about $16 (approximately 21,400 KRW) in tolls when crossing the George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel connecting New Jersey and New York. Adding the congestion toll of $15 when passing south of 60th Street in Manhattan would cause significant backlash due to the extra financial burden.

Previously, New York City attempted several times to implement congestion tolls but failed repeatedly. In 2021, the plan was postponed because it did not receive approval from the then Donald Trump administration. This time, with the Biden administration in office, approval was granted, making implementation possible. If the lawsuit hurdle is overcome, congestion tolls will become a reality starting in June. Although this system is already familiar in countries like the UK, Sweden, Singapore, and South Korea, it is the first in the United States. Attention is focused on whether New York City's congestion toll plan will succeed this time in alleviating the notorious traffic jams.