In New York, the $9 congestion toll applied to most vehicles entering Manhattan’s busiest areas continued to be enforced as usual on Sunday. This was despite an Easter deadline instated by the Trump administration to put an end to the nation’s pioneering fee system. Both Governor Kathy Hochul’s office and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which is responsible for managing the tolls, confirmed that the network of traffic cameras continues to collect these fees from the majority of cars venturing below Central Park.
“The cameras are staying on,” Avi Small, a spokesperson for Governor Hochul, asserted in an email communication. The decision to halt this program was originally made by former President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, who withdrew federal endorsement for the toll plan in February. He branded it as “a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” setting an initial compliance deadline for March 21.
However, the MTA opted to contest Duffy’s decision through the courts, prompting him to extend the deadline to April 20. Despite this, the Department of Transportation maintained a firm stance, insisting the deadline would remain set even as legal proceedings were underway, indicating it would “not hesitate to use every tool at our disposal” should the toll not be discontinued by the state.
In a recent statement, John J. McCarthy, chief of policy and external relations at the MTA, affirmed, “MTA, State, and City reaffirmed in a court filing that congestion pricing is here to stay, and that the arguments Secretary Duffy made trying to stop it have zero merit.” The statement underscored the continued enforcement of congestion pricing.
On Sunday, representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation did not provide immediate comments when contacted. The fee, which was initiated on January 5th, aims not only to alleviate traffic congestion but also to generate billions for the infrastructure supporting New York’s subways, commuter trains, and buses.
Duffy’s argument stood partly on the basis that Trump properties, including the notable Trump Tower, lie within the zone affected by the congestion fee, promising to dismantle the plan from the start of his administration.
Despite the friction, the MTA reported continued advantages from the tolling program, noting a reduction in the number of vehicles in central Manhattan. According to data from earlier this month, around 560,000 vehicles entered the congestion zone daily in March, marking a 13% decrease from the anticipated 640,000 vehicles absent the toll system.
The MTA remains on course to achieve the $500 million revenue goal for the year set by congestion pricing. The toll amount differs based on the type of vehicle and the time of day, in addition to existing tolls for bridge and tunnel crossings into Manhattan.
Cities worldwide, such as London and Stockholm, have also implemented similar congestion pricing strategies. Recently, a Manhattan federal judge dismissed lawsuits from the local trucking industry and others challenging the toll, pointing out that these claims were made on the grounds that the toll was approved without sufficient federal review and demanded a comprehensive environmental impact assessment.