Hochul Is Reviving Congestion Pricing, But Can Trump Still Kill It?

Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Getty Images

In June, Governor Kathy Hochul shocked the New York political world when she asked the MTA to delay the implementation of its planned congestion-pricing program, arguing that the planned $15 toll would be too much of a burden on the average New Yorker. But this week, the governor officially revealed a revised version of the plan just weeks before Donald Trump, an ardent opponent of the program, is set to return to the White House. Now, the question is whether the federal government will be able to kill it after January 20.

On Thursday, Hochul announced a new iteration of the congestion-pricing program with a $9 toll for drivers traveling at or below 60th Street in Manhattan, one of the city’s most highly traversed and congested regions.

Hochul said that while the reduced toll marks a 40 percent reduction from the initial $15 figure, it will still generate $15 billion in revenue allotted to back MTA capital projects. (Drivers coming into Manhattan after 9 p.m. will be charged even less, and drivers making less than $50,000 will qualify for a 50 percent discount after they rack up ten tolls in a month.) The federal government will have to approve the amended toll figure and sign an agreement, which is expected to happen next week, with two months left in President Joe Biden’s term.

Hochul’s announcement came days after Trump secured a second term in the White House. (There was also persistent speculation that the delay was intended to move the controversial issue off the board prior to the November election, something Hochul has denied.) Trump has been a consistent opponent of congestion pricing and once vowed on social media to “TERMINATE” the program during his first week in office. In a statement, Trump blasted Hochul’s decision but did not preview any potential moves that he might take once in office. “It will be virtually impossible for New York City to come back as long as the congestion tax is in effect,” Trump said. “It will hurt workers, families, and businesses, but in particular, anything to do with jobs.”

During his first term, Trump’s administration showed a tendency for halting transit and infrastructure projects that were already in the works. As noted by Curbed, Trump dragged his feet on providing federal funding for the Gateway Tunnel project, which involves building new Hudson River tunnels and replacing crucial rail infrastructure between New York and New Jersey. The Biden administration ultimately approved funding for the project, which is now in progress, but questions remain about whether future aspects of it could face delays during a second Trump term.

Congestion pricing’s opponents aren’t limited to the incoming White House. As reports emerged that a congestion-pricing revival was imminent, several New York Republicans issued a letter to Trump urging him to stop the program from taking effect. The House members accused the Biden administration of allowing the MTA program to skip a thorough environmental-review process and alleged that the agency manipulated the Federal Highway Administration’s tolling pilot program to get congestion pricing approved.

And the plan will continue to have its opponents in neighboring New Jersey. Governor Phil Murphy, who filed a lawsuit challenging congestion pricing earlier this year citing potential impacts to the state, said in a statement that he is “firmly opposed” to any attempt to implement the program ahead of the new administration taking office and will continue to fight against the matter in court.

Hochul told reporters that her decision to revive the plan in this manner was unrelated to Trump’s past threats against congestion pricing and that she’s not concerned about any actions he might take once in office. “There’s threats every day of the week; I don’t worry about anything. I really don’t,” she said.