Thursday, March 27, 2025
Town leaders and local officials are celebrating the move by President Donald Trump and the Federal Highway Administration to shut down New York City’s congestion pricing program.
During a Feb. 20 news conference at Sand Hill Road Park in Wantagh, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin called the decision a “massive win” for working-class commuters and Long Island as a whole.
“It's a great victory for people just going to do their jobs,” Clavin said. “We're not talking about the titans of industry. We are talking about first responders, nurses, teachers, people who serve you coffee in the city, deliverymen and women. This is a great victory for them.”
In November, Gov. Kathy Hochul re-launched congestion pricing, slapping a $9 daily toll on passenger vehicles traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan — a 40 percent reduction from the original $15 fee. The plan had been paused in June after state officials raised concerns about its financial impact on commuters.
The revised plan, approved by the MTA board on Nov. 18, took effect Jan. 5. In response, the Town of Hempstead filed a lawsuit against the MTA and the state in Nassau County Supreme Court on Nov. 21, arguing they bypassed public comment requirements. Backed by strong opposition from Long Island’s leaders, the plan’s opponents contended that the changes constituted a new law requiring further input.
On Feb. 19, the Trump administration ordered a halt to the program, and gave New York until March 21 to put a stop to it, according to a report from the Associated Press.
In addition, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the federal government had rescinded the plan’s approval, citing the Town of Hempstead’s lawsuit. In a termination letter, Duffy called congestion pricing “a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman noted his support for the federal government's decision at a Feb. 19 news conference in Mineola. Blakeman recalled President Trump’s pledge to end congestion pricing at a rally last October.
"President Trump is fulfilling a promise that he made at Madison Square Garden during (his) campaign," Blakeman said.
In a letter to Hochul from the federal transportation office, Duffy justified rescinding approval by citing the federal Value Pricing Pilot Program, an initiative established to explore the potential of various pricing strategies in reducing traffic congestion. Managed by the Federal Highway Administration, the program allows state and local governments to implement pilot projects that test the effectiveness of tolls and other pricing mechanisms in managing roadway usage and alleviating congestion.
Joining Clavin at the Feb. 20 news conference were Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jen DeSena, and Town of Hempstead officials, including Council members Dennis Dunne Sr., Thomas Muscarella and Laura Ryder, and Town Clerk Kate Murray.
Sand Hill Road Park sits near the Southern State Parkway, a key route for thousands of commuters traveling to the city each day. Saladino expressed that reducing traffic congestion and promoting environmental sustainability are important goals, yet the tolling program placed an “undue strain” on working families facing high costs. He thanked the neighboring towns for their leadership in the initiative.
“It is an important victory in this fight for our residents,” Saladino said. “We stand with our residents. We stand with our commuters.”
However, according to the MTA, congestion pricing would improve quality of life by reducing traffic and improving air quality in the city. In addition, the program was expected to bring in “billions of dollars in funding,” which the MTA stated could improve subways, buses and commuter railroads, on top of supporting around 23,000 jobs throughout the state.
In a Feb. 24 news release, the MTA reported that tolls from the program generated $48.6 million in its first month, putting it on track to meet the agency’s $500 million annual projection, which would support $15 billion in debt financing for mass transit improvements.
“With an initial performance in line with projections, we can confidently move forward with projects that rely on funds from the Congestion Relief Zone,” MTA Chief Financial Officer Kevin Willens stated in the news release. “We look forward to seeing similar results in the coming months.”
In response to the Trump administration’s decision, the MTA filed a lawsuit in the Manhattan federal court, arguing that the administration lacks legal authority to do away with the program.
Hochul argued that regardless of anyone's stance on congestion pricing, the decision is an attack on New York's sovereignty as a state.
"New York hasn't labored under a king in over 250 years, and we sure as hell won't start now," she said at a Feb. 19 news conference at Grand Central Terminal.
State Sen. Steve Rhoads joined members of the Senate Republican Conference on Feb. 24 to criticize the lawsuit against the federal government’s decision to halt congestion pricing. The conference highlighted legislation that would fully repeal the program and commission an independent audit of the MTA.
“New Yorkers are tired of being Albany’s endless ATM,” said Rhoads, who represents the Fifth Senate District, covering Wantagh, Seaford, Levittown, Bellmore, Merrick and East Meadow. “The governor’s decision to squander taxpayer dollars defending a failed congestion pricing scheme is both reckless and out of touch.”
Additional reporting by Jordan Vallone & Luke Feeney
