Gov. Kathy Hochul made on Wednesday her third visit to an MTA board meeting since taking office, telling the board about the “disconnect” between Washington, DC and New York that could endanger the long-term future of congestion pricing.
During the meeting held at Grand Central Station, Hochul cited two potential threats to public transportation from the federal government. The first one centers around the Trump U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) attempt to kill the toll program by rescinding Biden-era federal support.
Hochul discussed her recent trip to the White House, where she presented documents on the benefits of congestion pricing to President Trump — including more commercial buildings, speedier traffic and fewer clogged streets. She says it’s just her first step of ensuring the Manhattan toll program is here to stay.
“We’re not done. We’re in court,” she said. “We’ll continue to stand up for New Yorkers, reducing traffic. Air quality is going to continue improving.”
However, with President Donald Trump’s current opposition to congestion pricing, he may possibly attempt to keep other sources of funding away from New York if the state continues to take legal action against his halt on the program. Federal funds are not unique to NYC, as many states require this kind of support to keep their transportation and other systems active and strong.
Hochul said she feels confident that the state-run MTA will win the lawsuit it filed on Feb. 19 to stop Trump’s move to potentially end the controversial tolls, something that continues to divide New Yorkers around the city and state.
“I feel very confident that we will be victorious in the courts because you all did your work,” the governor told the board. “We’re ready to take on any challenge that comes our way.”
Meanwhile, the economy in the Congestion Relief Zone, where congestion pricing continues to remain active, has been humming. Broadway is up 21%, and restaurant reservations are up 7%, while traffic has decreased, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
On Monday, the MTA also released a revenue report stating that the program earned $48.6 million during its first month of operation.
“We are meeting our revenue projections,” Lieber said. “After the first month of tolling, we’re on track to generate the projected $500 million in net revenue after taking out the expenses of running the program.”
The comfortable revenue numbers will allow the MTA to move forward with congestion pricing-funded projects, Lieber said. These projects include the Second Avenue Subway construction, more ADA-access work at train stations and enhanced bus service.
However, the future of congestion pricing remains in the hands of the court, as the program remains active in NYC.
