New York moving to revive Manhattan congestion charge

FILE PHOTO: Vehicles sit in a line of traffic in Times Square in Manhattan in New York City

(Reuters) – New York plans to revive a congestion mitigation charge for driving in Manhattan that the state indefinitely put on hold in June, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Thursday.

New York City’s congestion pricing program, the first of its kind in the United States, was initially to have charged a toll of $15 during daytime hours for passenger vehicles driving in Manhattan south of 60th Street starting June 30.

A department spokesperson said on Thursday that New York notified the Federal Highway Administration of updated plans to advance the project with a starting toll of $9. The agency said it is finalizing the steps needed to complete the agreement.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)