Trump administration pulls federal approval for NYC congestion pricing

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Trump administration has made a move to end New York City’s congestion pricing program.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation publicized a letter pulling federal approval for the controversial tolling program.

In the letter, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed Gov. Kathy Hochul that the Federal Highway Administration would be rescinding approval for the program.

The letter claimed that the congestion toll rate was set primarily to raise money for the MTA rather than at a rate intended to just reduce congestion.

In a statement, Duffy further clarified that congestion pricing has unfairly burdened New York City, and that using money from drivers to pay for a transit system was “backwards and unfair.”

“New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” said Duffy.

In response to the move from the federal government, the MTA has filed in court to keep congestion pricing in place.

“Today, the MTA filed papers in federal court 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," said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber in a statement.

Earlier this month, President Trump indicated he would leverage federal transportation money to pressure New York into ending the tolling plan.

Previous reporting by The New York Times suggested that pulling this federal approval would most likely trigger a lengthy legal back-and-forth.

The letter sent by Duffy also spoke of concerns raised by out-of-state officials, including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who asked Trump to rescind the program immediately after his inauguration.

Local reaction

Elected officials on Staten Island, who have been engaged in their own lawsuits to stop congestion pricing, have begun thanking Trump for ending the controversial program.

“I commend President Trump for keeping his promise to halt New York City’s congestion pricing. It is a win for every hard-working New Yorker who was unfairly targeted by this money-grabbing scheme,” said Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn), who had previously called for an audit of the MTA.

Borough President Vito Fossella said: “To bring an end to the program is the right thing, not just for Staten Island, but for the City as a whole. The MTA should follow this action by turning off the toll readers and relieving Staten Island residents from this unnecessary and burdensome tax once and for all.”

Similarly, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn), who in January introduced legislation to kill the program, issued the following statement:

“President Trump is a New Yorker who understands the negative impact this additional toll had on my constituents, local businesses and our city’s economy. Since I began speaking about the congestion tax with the President last May, he repeatedly reiterated his commitment to halt this cash grab upon taking office and we’re pleased that he has found a legal avenue to follow through.”

Malliotakis had previously spoken with Trump on the topic, saying that Trump “does not like congestion pricing” and made it “clear” he wants to stop it.

“Today is a victory for Staten Islanders, New York’s businesses, and everyone who believes in common sense over government greed. President Trump promised to end New York City’s disastrous congestion pricing scam, and he has delivered,” said Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (R-Staten Island).

Recently, some Staten Islanders said they’ve been seeing less traffic during their morning commute since the start of congestion pricing.

At the end of January, the MTA released numbers that continue to show an improvement in traffic since the beginning of congestion pricing.

According to the agency, around 1 million fewer vehicles have entered the Congestion Relief Zone when compared to pre-congestion pricing numbers.

By the MTA’s count, this has led to travel time improvements ranging from 10% to 30% on average at river crossings into Manhattan.

Congestion pricing refers to using electronic tolling to charge vehicles for entering certain areas of Manhattan to reduce traffic congestion and raise money for public transportation upgrades.

Since early January, drivers were being charged a fee for entering Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone, defined as any area south of 60th Street, but excludes certain highways in the area.