The Trump administration has put a stop to New York City’s congestion pricing tolls, a system designed to reduce traffic and fund public transportation by charging drivers to enter certain areas of Manhattan.
The toll program, which began on January 5, charged most vehicles $9 when entering neighborhoods south of Central Park. Since its launch, officials noticed a small but significant decrease in traffic. However, on Wednesday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that the federal government had withdrawn its approval for the program. He called the toll “a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners” and said officials would work with the state to officially end it.
Shortly after this announcement, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) filed a federal lawsuit to keep the toll in place. Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the program would continue while the legal battle unfolds.
Former President Donald Trump, who owns properties within the toll zone, had promised to eliminate the plan once he took office. After the announcement, he celebrated on Truth Social, writing, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED.” He also added, “LONG LIVE THE KING!” The White House shared an edited image of Trump wearing a crown against the New York skyline on its official social media account.
Governor Hochul was not pleased with Trump’s remarks. At a press conference in Grand Central Terminal, she fired back, stating, “New York hasn’t had a king in over 250 years, and we sure as hell won’t start now.”
The congestion pricing plan was meant to encourage people to use public transportation by making it more expensive to drive. Similar toll systems exist in cities like London, Milan, Stockholm, and Singapore. New York was the first U.S. city to try this approach. The money collected from the tolls would have funded improvements for the city’s aging subway and transit systems, which serve about 4 million riders daily.
The plan faced strong opposition, particularly from suburban commuters and people in areas without easy subway access. Supporters argued it would help reduce pollution, improve bus service, and keep emergency vehicles moving.
State Senator Andrew Gounardes, a Democrat, criticized Trump’s decision, saying it would lead to more traffic, crashes, and air pollution while taking away essential funding for public transportation.
While the toll was approved by New York lawmakers in 2019, it faced delays under Trump’s first term. After President Biden allowed it to move forward, the program was implemented despite several legal challenges.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy was also against the toll and had urged Trump to end it on his first day back in office.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams initially supported congestion pricing but has since distanced himself from the debate. When asked about Trump’s decision, he simply said that if the federal government has the power to stop the tolls, “we can’t sit back and complain.”
