The Trump administration has blocked New York City’s congestion pricing program, which aimed to reduce traffic and fund mass transit by charging vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the decision, stating the tolls unfairly burden working-class Americans and small businesses.
In a statement, Duffy commented that, “The program also hurts small businesses in New York that rely on customers from New Jersey and Connecticut… It impedes the flow of commerce into New York by increasing costs for trucks, which in turn could make goods more expensive for consumer[s]. Every American should be able to access New York City regardless of their economic means. It shouldn’t be reserved for an elite few.”
The program, initiated on January 5, imposed a $9 daily toll and a $2.25 overnight fee on most vehicles entering the designated area. It sought to decrease traffic congestion and generate revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to improve the city’s transit system.
Critics argued the tolls lacked toll-free alternatives and primarily served as a revenue source rather than a congestion-reduction measure. Duffy emphasized that commuters have already financed highway infrastructure through taxes, and the additional tolls disproportionately impact those relying on vehicular travel.
Bob Holden (D), a New York City councilman representing Queens, agreed with the move, stating: “This is a major victory for working- and middle-class families who were forced to shoulder another financial burden just to navigate their own city. New Yorkers deserve real solutions to traffic and transit issues—not another cash grab disguised as policy.”
In response, the MTA filed a federal lawsuit to challenge the administration’s decision, defending the program’s effectiveness in reducing traffic and improving travel times.
According to the MTA, the lawsuit was filed “to ensure that the highly successful program – which has already dramatically reduced congestion, bringing reduced traffic and faster travel times, while increasing speeds for buses and emergency vehicles – will continue notwithstanding this baseless effort to snatch those benefits away from the millions of mass transit users, pedestrians and, especially, the drivers who come to the Manhattan Central Business District.”
Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her commitment to pursuing the matter in court, highlighting the program’s role in funding essential transit improvements.
The congestion pricing initiative, modeled after similar programs in cities like London and Singapore, faced opposition from suburban commuters and local businesses concerned about economic impacts. The legal battle over the program’s future is expected to continue, with significant implications for urban transportation policy and infrastructure funding.
