Donald Trump has reportedly ended NYC’s congestion pricing, leaving MTA officials in shock.
Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, said in a letter that was sent to Gov. Hochul, that he was “revoking the federal government’s authorization for the program under the so-called Value Pricing Pilot Program.” The Biden DOT gave the authorization in December.
At the moment, it’s not clear when the action will go into effect which will stop charging drivers $9 a day for driving into the city south of 60th Street. “The revenues generated under this pilot program are directed toward the transit system as opposed to highways,” Duffy wrote. “I do not believe that this is a fair deal.”
He continued, “I have concluded that the scope of this pilot project as approved exceeds the authority authorized by Congress under the VPPP.”
In a statement by the federal DOT, they argued against Congestion Pricing. “The toll rate was set primarily to raise revenue for transit, rather than at an amount needed to reduce congestion.” It continued, “By doing so, the pilot runs contrary to the purpose of the VPPP, which is to impose tolls for congestion reduction- not transit revenue generation.”