Congestion pricing tolls are actually in impact
Picture by KENA BETANCUR/AFP through Getty Photographs
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New York officers and organizations have hit out at stories that the Trump Administration is contemplating a transfer to halt the congestion pricing toll for motorists getting into Manhattan south of sixtieth Road.
The New York Instances reported Thursday afternoon that the Division of Transportation is contemplating a transfer to halt a key federal authorization that congestion pricing acquired from the Biden Administration final yr, reporting that such a transfer might spark a authorized battle between state and federal authorities and successfully cease congestion pricing in its tracks.
Riders Alliance, a non-profit advocating for public transport in New York Metropolis that strongly supported congestion pricing, mentioned the toll has proved profitable because it was launched on Jan. 5 and mentioned scrapping congestion pricing would negatively affect hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.
“Congestion relief is a big success, impresses more and more people every day, and has already won a string of decisive court victories. Eliminating the program would kill hundreds of thousands of infrastructure jobs and make millions of commuters late to work again,” Riders Alliance Coverage & Communications Director Danny Pearlstein mentioned.
Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander, who’s difficult Mayor Eric Adams within the 2025 mayoral election, mentioned Trump can be forcing New Yorkers to have “dirtier air, more traffic, and crappier subways” ought to he scrap congestion pricing.
“New Yorkers pushed to implement congestion pricing before Trump took office—let’s not pump the brakes on this program now,” Lander mentioned.
The MTA, in the meantime, pointed to current congestion pricing knowledge, which states that the toll has resulted in a single million fewer automobiles getting into the congestion reduction zone for the reason that toll was carried out in early January. The information additional acknowledged that journey occasions are 10-30% sooner at inbound river crossings since congestion pricing was launched, whereas bus riders are experiencing sooner and extra dependable service.
Moreover, the MTA famous that weekend categorical bus ridership has grown by greater than 20% since congestion pricing launched on Jan. 5.
“Before the start of congestion relief, talk of lawsuits and doubts dominated the conversation, but now it’s the undeniably positive results we’ve been seeing since week one,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber mentioned in a press release. “Better bus service, faster drive times and safer streets are good for all New Yorkers.”
‘Music to our ears’
However, Council Member Robert Holden, representing Council District 30, welcomed stories that Trump is contemplating a transfer to halt congestion pricing, describing the toll as a “scam.”
“The congestion scam tax must come to an end, and this latest development is music to our ears,” Holden mentioned in a put up on X, previously Twitter. “We all hope the new federal government makes it happen.”
Previous to taking workplace, Trump had promised to “terminate” congestion pricing in his first week in workplace and has described the tax as “the most regressive tax known to womankind” in a nod to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s efforts to implement the measure. Trump additional warned that congestion pricing would “put New York City at a disadvantage over competing cities and states, and businesses will flee”.
Hochul has made the case that congestion pricing is making a optimistic affect in New York Metropolis, informing the President that the toll is elevating funds for town’s transit system in addition to decreasing site visitors on the streets, in keeping with CBS. Hochul’s workplace has not but responded to a request for remark.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a robust critic of congestion pricing, penned a letter to Trump on the day he was inaugurated on Jan. 20 urging the president to halt the toll and describing the measure as “a disaster for working- and middle-class New Jersey commuters and residents.”
Congestion pricing, which went into impact on Jan. 5, fees drivers a $9 base toll to enter Manhattan on streets and crossings south of and together with sixtieth Road. This system is designed to cut back site visitors congestion and generate income to fund enhancements to the MTA’s subway, bus and commuter rail system.
