New York City’s congestion pricing program’s days may be over — if the Trump administration has its way. Earlier today, it rescinded the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of congestion pricing, issued in 2023 by the Biden administration.
It remains unclear what happens to congestion pricing in the interim. MTA Chair Janno Lieber has already filed a lawsuit to challenge the Trump administration’s decision.
This battle is now going to play out in the courts.
President Donald Trump celebrated the move today, posting on his social media platform Truth Social: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Governor Kathy Hochul responded to the president this afternoon, stating, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king.” In a press conference, she described Trump’s moves as “an attack on our sovereign identity and our independence from Washington.”
Hochul also said that support for congestion pricing has grown since the program’s launch.
What Do New Yorkers Think About Congestion Pricing?
Congestion pricing isn’t popular statewide, with 51% of New Yorkers opposing it, according to a Siena College poll from December. Importantly, that poll was conducted before the program’s launch this January. Like many controversial policies, initial opposition may give way to acceptance — or even support — as commuters judge the program based on their real experiences.
The Siena College poll, however, contains some interesting — and unsurprising —findings.
As expected, a majority of Republicans oppose congestion pricing, a Democrat-initiated and implemented policy. Opposition is strongest in the suburbs, including Nassau and Suffolk counties.
But resistance is also high among Latino voters — many of whom work in industries that require the use of commercial vehicles for transportation.
For white-collar workers, taking public transportation may be an inconvenience. But for working-class individuals whose jobs are physically demanding and require special equipment, both the financial and personal toll of congestion pricing may be too burdensome.
However, many who live or work in the city now point toward less vehicle congestion on Manhattan streets.
A February poll commissioned by the Partnership for New York City — a non-profit that supports congestion pricing — states that majority of voters statewide and outside the city say Trump should allow congestion pricing to continue. However, the organization did not release the full results of the survey.
Poll on the Toll: What the Public Thinks About Congestion Pricing
Here are the full results of the December Siena College poll on congesting pricing: