Donald Trump and his administration are once again harnessing the federal bureaucracy to harm New Yorkers. Their latest move to stop congestion pricing is an unprecedented and baseless reversal that ignores the facts, threatens construction jobs and billions in infrastructure investment, and disrupts a program that is already benefiting millions of commuters in New York and New Jersey.
New York followed the rules. The state Legislature passed congestion pricing in 2019. The federal government reviewed the program through a rigorous process and approved it under the Value Pricing Pilot Program — the same program that has enabled successful highway congestion management programs in Florida, Texas, and Virginia — after complying with all legal requirements.
The MTA met every federal guideline and has already invested millions of dollars into implementation and, to great success, has begun implementing the program based on that approval. Now, with no legal precedent, the Trump administration is trying to pull the rug out from under New York.
Trump’s last-minute reversal is a blatant abuse of power that would throw New York’s transit system into disarray and further cement a dangerous precedent of federal overreach. This isn’t just an attack on congestion pricing — it’s an attack on the rule of law and the fundamental principle that states and cities should be able to govern their own programs and infrastructure.
Courts have repeatedly ruled that once federal approvals are granted and relied upon, they can’t just be pulled back arbitrarily. Rescinding congestion pricing’s approval now would potentially violate the Administrative Procedure Act and certainly invite a flood of legal challenges.
We are confident that the courts will find this 180-degree reversal by the U.S. Department of Transportation to be unsupported by the law and the facts and will uphold the validity of the program, consistent with previous federal court rulings.
But in the meantime, the MTA’s $15 billion in planned transit upgrades — funding that has already been baked into capital planning — hangs in the balance. New Yorkers are already seeing the benefits of congestion pricing, from improved traffic flow to safer streets and a more reliable subway system. Rolling it back now would jeopardize 100,000 jobs and destabilize the municipal bond market, making it harder and more expensive for New York to fund infrastructure projects in the future.
Trump’s move has nothing to do with protecting working-class people and everything to do with playing politics. If his administration cared about affordability, they wouldn’t be blocking a program that benefits millions of daily transit riders — nurses, teachers, and first responders who rely on public transportation.
While the president and his allies in Congress may believe they’re scoring a political victory by blocking congestion pricing, they are now accountable for the negative consequences that will result from halting the program. Increased traffic congestion, longer commute times, wasted hours idling, and deteriorating air quality are all setbacks — ones that the president and his congressional cronies must now take responsibility for.
New Yorkers increasingly support congestion pricing because they see and feel the results every day. Travel times through the Holland Tunnel during morning rush hour have dropped from 12 minutes to just four. Canal St. traffic is down, making streets safer and more navigable. Buses are running faster and more reliably. In just a few weeks since the program began, more than one million fewer vehicles have entered the congestion relief zone.
Meanwhile, the city remains as lively as ever — business districts in the congestion zone have welcomed 1.5 million more visitors than this time last year, and Broadway ticket sales are on the rise.
New Yorkers know the truth: Congestion pricing is working. Traffic is down, streets are safer, and public transit is improving. Commutes are faster, businesses are thriving, and the air is cleaner. The program is already delivering on its promise.
Donald Trump’s attack on congestion pricing is an attack on New York’s future. Instead of partnering with New York to cut gridlock, His administration is throwing up roadblocks for a policy that’s making our city safer, cleaner, and more efficient, all for political theater. But New York won’t back down. The law is on our side, the data proves the program works, and New Yorkers overwhelmingly support keeping it.
We are confident that the courts will reject this baseless attempt to reverse federal approval. The fight for congestion pricing isn’t just about transit — it’s about standing up for New York’s right to govern itself. And we’re not backing down.
Tighe is president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. Plum is the executive director of Riders Alliance.