Fate of Congestion Pricing Unclear

Congestion pricing in New York City will remain until at least March 21 – the future of the program now rests on federal judges amid several ongoing lawsuits. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation rescinded its approval for the federal Pricing Pilot Program last month. Along with the Federal Highway Administration, the agency called the program a “slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners,” calling for its end on March 21. 

The cordon pricing plan, which imposes tolls on drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street, penalizes commuters who “have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes,” the agencies wrote in their public letter. 

Immediately after the federal government rescinded its approval, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Federal Court.

“Today, the MTA filed papers in federal court to ensure that the highly successful program – which has already dramatically reduced congestion, bringing reduced traffic and faster travel times,  while increasing speeds for buses and emergency vehicles – will continue notwithstanding this baseless effort to snatch those benefits away from the millions of mass transit users, pedestrians and, especially, the drivers who come to the Manhattan Central Business District,” Lieber wrote in a statement. “It’s mystifying that after four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review – and barely three months after giving final approval to the Congestion Relief Program – USDOT would seek to totally reverse course.”

The Sierra Club, an environment organization, joined transit advocate group the Riders Alliance in their own lawsuit against the USDOT on Tuesday.  

Their complaint alleges that the department made “serious legal mistakes” in their attempt to terminate the program two months after its launch. 

“New Yorkers have the right to improve the environment where they live while making much-needed improvements to the city’s public transportation system,” Wayne Adren, Sierra Club NYC group transportation chair said in a statement. “After two months of operation, it’s clear that congestion pricing is succeeding: traffic is moving faster, vehicle pollution is down, and the added revenue is allowing the MTA to make essential improvements to the transit system. We have every intention of keeping it, and we are ready to defend it.” 

“After working closely with Gov. Kathy Hochul, the MTA and USDOT to start the program, a vengeful federal government now leaves us no choice but to go to court,” Riders Alliance executive director Betsy Plum said. “We’re filing today’s case because congestion relief is saving us time on buses, fixing our aging subways, and improving our health. We can’t afford to go back. There is no way to make traffic gridlock great again.”  

According to the MTA, tolls through the congestion pricing program brought in $48.6 million in January alone. It also saw a 7.5 percent reduction in traffic without the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), according to the agency.