The Trump administration has ordered New York City to end its congestion pricing program by 21 March.
In a letter dated 20 February and publicized on Wednesday, the US transportation department’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) executive director, Gloria Shepherd, informed New York state and city officials that they “must cease the collection of tolls on federal-aid highways in the [central business district tolling program] area by March 21, 2025”.
“In order to provide [the New York state department of transportation] and its project sponsors time to terminate operations of this pilot project in an orderly manner, this rescission of approval and termination of the November 21, 2024 agreement will be effective on March 21, 2025,” the letter added.
It also cited a letter addressed to New York state and city officials on 19 February by Sean Duffy, Trump’s newly appointed transportation secretary.
In last week’s letter, Duffy wrote: “I share the president’s concerns about the impact to working class Americans who now have an additional financial burden to account for in their daily lives. Users of the highway network within the [central business district] tolling area have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes.”
Shepherd further wrote in her letter: “The secretary’s letter stated that the FHWA will contact the New York state department of transportation and its project sponsors, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority and New York City department of transportation to discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations under the [central business district tolling program].”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which is responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area, and a New York bridge authority have filed suit to block the administration’s action.
The US transportation department’s decision to stop New York City’s implementation of the program is intended to put a halt to the city initiative that imposes a $9 fee on drivers who enter Manhattan below 60th Street between 5am and 9pm on weekdays and a lower fee from 9am to 9pm on weekends.
After last week’s letter from Duffy, Trump, who has vowed to end the program, prompted widespread backlash when he took to his Truth Social platform and wrote: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
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New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, responded : “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king.” She added that “public transit is the lifeblood of New York City and critical to our economic future – as a New Yorker, like President Trump, knows very well.”
The Guardian has reached out to Hochul’s office for comment.
