Congestion pricing in New York City cleared its final federal hurdle, all but ensuring that the first such program in the nation will begin next year in an effort to reduce traffic and pollution in Manhattan and fund improvements to mass transit.
The program would charge drivers a fee to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street with the aim of discouraging cars from squeezing into one of the world’s busiest commercial districts.
Final approval was granted by the Federal Highway Administration, a spokeswoman said Monday. A report that it released in August showed that one proposal under review would charge $23 for a rush-hour trip into Midtown and $17 during off-peak hours.