Another Toll at the City Line? Boston Eyes New York's $9 Congestion Fee

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says there's no plan yet. But she's sending a team to Manhattan to study New York's congestion pricing, and she says "everything should be on the table."

When a politician says everything is on the table, check your wallet.

What Wu actually said

On Oct. 20, Wu told the MBTA Advisory Board that her team has "been in touch a little bit" with New York City to understand its system. She called New York's toll "a huge source of funding for public transit improvements over there," and added: "We've all been talking about revenue for a long time now because the economic environment that we're in is straining cities in general."

The next day she told Spectrum News: "There's not a specific plan on the table. It's really just learning and understanding what the real before and after has been for New York." She also said, "Everything should be on the table when it comes to finding ways to fix traffic and have the quality of life that we all deserve."

Notice the word that keeps coming up. Revenue.

What New York charges

Since Jan. 5, 2025, most cars entering Manhattan below 60th Street pay $9 once a day at peak times, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Trucks and buses pay $14.40 to $21.60. The MTA says the toll raised more than $550 million in net revenue in its first year and cut vehicle entries by about 11%.

Supporters point to faster crossings. Fair enough. But $9 a day, five days a week, is about $2,250 a year for someone who has to drive in to work. A New Yorker in real estate told Spectrum News: "The problem with it is the average consumer can't afford it." His advice to Boston: "Don't do it."

Who pays on the North Shore

Think about who actually drives into Boston from Marblehead, Swampscott, Lynn and Salem:

• Contractors and tradespeople with a truck full of tools. You can't carry a tile saw onto the commuter rail.
• Small business owners making deliveries and service calls, who would pay the toll and then have to raise prices for their customers.
• Shift workers and nurses whose hours don't line up with the train schedule.
• Retirees driving to medical appointments in the city.

These people already pay the gas tax, the Tobin and Sumner tunnel tolls, the excise tax and the parking. A congestion toll would be one more charge for the same trip.

Beacon Hill would have to sign off

Boston can't do this alone. Any plan would mainly affect drivers on state-owned highways and bridges, so the Legislature would have to be involved (WHDH). Gov. Healey's Transportation Funding Task Force considered congestion pricing and left it out of its final report. Healey told Spectrum News the timing isn't right: "Not in the moment that we're in. I'm focused on affordability every single day."

Good. But these ideas don't stay dead. In 2024 the state's transportation secretary floated tolls at the state's borders and got hammered for it. Now the idea is back with a new name.

The bottom line

No plan has been filed with the City Council or the Legislature. That's the time to speak up, before a "study" turns into a toll gantry. If the city and the T need money, start with how they spend what they already take in. Don't send the bill to the guy in the pickup truck coming down Route 1A.

Should Boston charge drivers to come into the city? Tell me in the comments.

— John Nestor, Man of a Million

Sources

• Spectrum News NECN, "Boston considering congestion pricing" (Oct. 21, 2026): https://spectrumlocalnews.com/us/snplus/news/2026/10/22/boston-considering-congestion-pricing
• State House News Service, "Boston has been in touch with NYC about congestion pricing" (Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.statehousenews.com/news/transportation/boston-has-been-in-touch-with-nyc-about-congestion-pricing/article_322f9089-ac37-4b5d-82ed-74ea33d0524b.html
• WHDH 7News, "Boston exploring congestion pricing to cut down on traffic" (Oct. 21, 2026): https://whdh.com/news/boston-exploring-congestion-pricing-to-cut-down-on-traffic/
• The Boston Report (Oct. 21, 2026): https://thebostonreport.com/2026/10/21/wu-boston-congestion-pricing-new-york/
• NY Governor's Office / MTA, first-year results (Jan. 5, 2026): https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/less-traffic-better-transit-its-first-anniversary-governor-hochul-celebrates-transformational
• Boston Globe on 2024 border-toll backlash (May 7, 2024): https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/07/metro/boston-congestion-pricing/

Note: $2,250/yr = $9 x 5 days x 50 weeks (our arithmetic, peak car rate).