Crunch Time for Congestion Pricing

By Y.M. Lowy

The Trump administration’s limit for Governor Hochul to cancel New York City’s congestion pricing program is Wednesday.

The pressure comes as traffic in the toll zone keeps climbing. When the program first started, around 410,000 vehicles entered the area. But by the beginning of May, that number had jumped to over 524,000. Even this week, drivers crawled through heavy traffic near the Lincoln Tunnel.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the $9 toll isn’t fair to taxpayers who already paid for these roads through gas taxes that funded the highway system. He warned that the federal government may hold back on approving new projects in Manhattan if the program isn't dropped.