New York Governor Kathy Hochul has halted the MTA’s congestion pricing program in Manhattan indefinitely. The new toll rates were set to take effect on June 30, 2024, charging passenger cars $15 to enter Manhattan anywhere below 60th Street. NYC’s program would have been the first of its kind in the United States, and the MTA intended for these new tolls to reduce traffic, raise billions of dollars to improve mass transit, and lessen air pollution.
Governor Hochul’s decision comes as a shocking reversal to the congestion pricing plan, which was just 25 days away from implementation. In her announcement, Hochul expressed fears that the program would be too great a financial burden on New Yorkers and would damage the city’s economy as it continues to recover from the pandemic. The congestion pricing program was conceptualized before Covid-19; the governor believes that today, these tolls would discourage commuters from entering the city for work or leisure. “Circumstances have changed, and we must respond to the facts on the ground, not to the rhetoric from five years ago,” she said. “We cannot afford to undercut this momentum, and I won’t allow this delicate recovery to be jeopardized.” Hochul said she remains committed to improving mass transit and is working with officials on securing new funding. To watch Hochul’s full statement, click here.
The MTA had projected that the congestion pricing program would raise $15 billion for the city’s public transit system. Since Hochul’s announcement, there has been an uproar from environmental and transit advocates, as well as many business leaders who supported the program, which has been in the works for many years.
Updated: June 5, 2024.
