Under the Trump administration, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has terminated federal approval of congestion pricing tolls in New York City.

The DOT announced February 19 that it has rescinded its approval of an instated congestion pricing pilot program. The toll charges vehicles up to $9 after coming into Manhattan from 60th Street and below during peak hours and overnight. The toll went into effect January 5 after being agreed upon in November 2024 by the Federal Highway Administration and the New York State Department of Transportation.

Following the DOT’s news, President Donald Trump praised himself on his social media platform, Truth Social. He wrote, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” Moreover, the White House shared an image on its social media accounts of Trump with a crown on his head and Manhattan’s skyline as his background.

What Else Should I Know About The DOT’s Latest Order On NYC’s Congestion Pricing?

NYC’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has filed a lawsuit to keep congestion pricing in effect. A federal judge will determine the toll’s fate. According to local news, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “the highly successful program” has “dramatically reduced congestion, bringing reduced traffic and faster travel times, while increasing speeds for buses and emergency vehicles.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has addressed the Trump administration’s involvement in the tolling program’s impediment. Speaking February 19 at Grand Central Terminal, she said, “I’m here to say New York hasn’t labored under a king for 250 years … I don’t care if you love congestion pricing or you hate it, this is an attack on our sovereign identity, our independence, from Washington.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy argued that the congestion pricing negatively impacts NYC’s small businesses and commerce overall, as travelers, customers in nearby states, and trucks entering the Big Apple with goods all face the toll.

“New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” said Duffy. “Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes. But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It’s backwards and unfair.”

“Every American should be able to access New York City regardless of their economic means. It shouldn’t be reserved for an elite few,” he added.

DOT, New York City, NYC, trump