Trump Admin Claws Back Approval for Congestion Pricing in Manhattan
Barely six weeks after the launch of congestion pricing, the plan to toll motorists driving into the core of Manhattan is facing yet another existential threat.
President Donald Trump followed through Wednesday on his August campaign pledge to “TERMINATE Congestion Pricing,” likely setting the stage for more legal fighting in the long-running saga. On January 5, New York became the first U.S. city to implement such a vehicle-tolling scheme, which is designed to unclog streets and fund billions of dollars in mass transit upgrades.
The president’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul that reverses the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the tolling program. The news was first reported by the New York Post.
The Decision
In the letter, Duffy said he shares “the President’s concerns about the impacts to working class Americans who now have an additional financial burden.” He said the highway agency would be in touch with local transit officials “to discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations.”
Reactions and Responses
The move comes as Hochul had said her administration was negotiating with the Trump administration over the program’s future. Advocates for transit riders have already vowed to fight to keep it alive.
“We’ve defended the program, we’ve won lawsuits against the program, we’ve held two governors accountable,” Danny Pearlstein, policy director of Riders Alliance, told THE CITY. “And we will do whatever we need to do to defend it from people who would try and undermine our big success.”
Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, expressed similar sentiments: “It’s doing what we expected it to do and anything to roll it back is going to really make lives worse for everyone who’s living in and around the New York metropolitan region. People are going to be back to wasting time in traffic given that you’ve seen really substantial improvements.”
The Impact
The decision by Trump — who had initially said he would squash congestion pricing during his first days in office — came after he and Hochul discussed halting the vehicle-tolling initiative that follows the lead of cities that include London, Stockholm, and Milan.
Initially approved by a 2019 state law, congestion pricing was designed to generate revenue for the regional transportation network, with the legislation specifying that 80% of the money go toward subway and bus improvements in the MTA’s 2020 to 2024 capital program.
Among the projects to be paid for by congestion pricing are modernizing signals along multiple subway lines, adding elevators to more stations, extending the Second Avenue Subway from the Upper East Side to Harlem, and buying more electric buses.
The Future of Congestion Pricing
But Trump’s move again imperils the years-in-the-making plan that Hochul herself temporarily paused in June, just weeks before its scheduled launch, citing what she called the “undue strain” of what would have been a $15 peak-hours toll for most motorists. But days after Trump’s November win in the presidential election, Hochul reversed course and revived congestion pricing with a reduced $9 toll.
MTA officials have repeatedly touted the early successes of the new tolls, citing reduced traffic south of 60th Street in Manhattan, improved trip times on river crossings into the central business district, faster bus speeds across the Hudson and East River bridges and tunnels, and increased ridership on the subway and express buses.
Conclusion
The fate of congestion pricing in Manhattan remains uncertain, with the Trump administration’s decision to reverse the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the tolling program. Advocates for transit riders have vowed to continue fighting to keep the program alive, citing its success in reducing congestion and funding critical infrastructure improvements.
FAQs
- What is congestion pricing?
- Congestion pricing is a system of tolls charged to motorists driving into the core of Manhattan to reduce traffic congestion and fund mass transit upgrades.
- What is the goal of congestion pricing?
- The goal of congestion pricing is to reduce traffic congestion and generate revenue for the regional transportation network, with a focus on improving subway and bus services.
- What are the benefits of congestion pricing?
- The benefits of congestion pricing include reduced traffic congestion, improved trip times, and increased ridership on the subway and express buses.
- What is the impact of Trump’s decision on congestion pricing?
- Trump’s decision to reverse the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the tolling program may imperil the future of congestion pricing in Manhattan, but advocates for transit riders are vowing to continue fighting to keep the program alive.
