Trump wants NYC’s congestion pricing dead. Will the toll system be roadkill?

The Trump administration’s attempt at stopping New York City’s congestion pricing in Manhattan has set off a battle with state officials, who wasted no time in filing a lawsuit to keep the program going.

“This is an attack on our sovereign identity, our independence from Washington,’’ Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a Wednesday news conference.

Earlier in the day, she had received a letter from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informing her officials would be contacting her office about the “orderly cessation of toll operations’’ as the federal government revokes its authorization for them.

Hochul said they would continue operating, and they were Thursday.

Here’s what to know about the NYC traffic plan:

What is congestion pricing?

It’s a strategy for reducing traffic levels by disincentivizing driving through the extra cost of tolls. Before they went into effect in New York on Jan. 5, traffic speeds in Manhattan’s central business district were down to an average of about 7 mph, 23% slower than 15 years ago, transit officials said.

Get the Daily Briefing newsletter in your inbox.

The day's top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events.

Delivery: Daily

Your Email

“At some level of congestion, the demand exceeds the supply,’’ said Joseph Schofer, a professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University who specializes in transportation issues. “They want to do something about it because of the (problems) that result from congestion: travel-time delay for all drivers, air pollution, excess motor vehicle accidents.’’

How does NYC’s program work?

Most passenger vehicles coming into the so-called Congestion Relief Zone in midtown and lower Manhattan – from 60th Street on down – are charged $9 for the day if they enter during peak periods, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. At other times the charge goes down to $2.25. The peak time cost for trucks and buses ranges from $14.40 to $21.60.

Electronic cameras read license plate numbers, typically linked to the E-ZPass toll-payment system. Those without E-ZPass get billed by mail at a higher rate.

The plan is expected to generate $500 million in revenue this first year, with the funds going to public transit projects.

Has the plan worked?

New York officials believe so, pointing to a reduction in commute times as traffic speeds have picked up, especially for express buses. Transit officials say inbound trip times on all Hudson River and East River crossings have gotten 10-30% faster.

Janno Lieber, CEO of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said 1.2 million fewer vehicles went into Manhattan’s central business district in January, a 9% decrease. In addition, Lieber said, pedestrian traffic and restaurant reservations in the area are up.

“The streets are safer, half as many crashes, and that means pedestrians are not getting injured and killed,’’ he said.

Why does the Trump administration oppose the program?

Duffy called the pricing plan “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners,’’ saying commuters have already paid for the cost of highways into the city and are now being unfairly required to pony up more money to fund the transit system.

Hochul accused President Donald Trump of trying to kill the program for political reasons after it was approved by the Biden administration.

Schofer said there’s always some resistance to new strategies like this, and obviously frequent drivers will grumble about the extra cost, but he pointed out residents and visitors are given the option of using what may be an improved transit system.

“The new administration has come in and said it’s not fair,’’ Schofer said. “Of course it’s fair. It’s completely logical. You may not like it, but it’s fair because I’m charging you for the social cost you create when you choose to drive.’’

Has congestion pricing been implemented elsewhere?

New York is the first U.S. city to execute the project in a core district, though several others like San Diego, Miami, Denver, Minneapolis and Houston have highway toll lanes that allow drivers to skirt more congested areas for a fee.

Internationally, Singapore was the first jurisdiction to establish congestion pricing, in 1975. Others have followed, including central London – in addition to other British cities – Stockholm and Milan. London’s toll is close to $20.

“New York is the most transit-intensive city in North America,’’ Schofer said. “Assuring you have the resources (for transit improvements) and get people off the roads is a pretty darn good reason for collecting this kind of money.’’