Congestion pricing: What you need to know about toll bill, discounts and more
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- With congestion pricing in full effect, some drivers will soon start getting bills in the mail, but just how much and how often?
E-ZPass is the best way to go if you're going to be driving south of 60th Street into the new congestion pricing zone.
Without E-ZPass on your car, the cameras will read your license plates, and you can expect a tolls-by-mail bill within 30 to 45 days.
License plate tolls are 50% more, so you'll pay $13.50 instead of $9.
If you have questions about your bill, you can contact the MTA customer service line which is 511.
"We have a dedicated group at the customer service center," said MTA Chief Operating Officer Allison De Cerreno. "Importantly, for the month of January, we're actually opening on Sundays as well. Normally, it's not open Sunday. We're going to have Saturday hours on Sundays through January recognizing this is different for everybody. When you call in, if there is a question, if there is a dispute, we have a dispute process."
There are also deductions available. You may qualify to get a tax credit if you reside within the zone, and there are low-income discounts for drivers earning less than $50,000 a year.
If you qualify, that's half off the bill after the first 10 trips in a calendar month. But there's a catch. For out-of-state drivers to get the discount, you will need to open a New York E-ZPass account.
You can also save if you drive in the zone after 9 p.m. The price gets shaved to to $2.25.
You will pay the full $9 price tag if you come in during peak hours, which are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
Plus, how you drive into the zone matters. You can get up to $3 off the congestion pricing toll if you use the Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown or Hugh L. Carey tunnels.
The MTA says it has loaded up on customer service in case you come across any bumps in the road.
"Right now, that call center is being staffed with additional people for the foreseeable future, anywhere from 40% to 70% over what we normally would staff," De Cerreno said.
And beware! The MTA is warning of a text scheme pretending to collect tolls on behalf of "New York Toll Services." That is not an authorized message from E-ZPass or the toll agencies. Do not click on the link. E-ZPass will never ask for your birthday, social security number or other personal information.
The entire purpose of congestion pricing is to get us to use mass transit. So, consider commuter assistance plans that might be offered by your employer, which can save you money on your income tax.
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