NEW YORK, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Wednesday terminated its approval of the congestion pricing program in New York City, marking a reversal of policy shortly after the pilot program went into effect in early January.
The Central Business District Tolling Program is not eligible for "value pricing pilot program," which allows an exception to the general rule prohibiting tolling on highways, according to a letter by Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.
Following a review, Duffy announced the rescinding of the approval of the congestion pricing program by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the termination of an agreement signed on Nov. 21, 2024 between the FHWA and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).
Duffy stressed that the FHWA lacked statutory authority to approve the cordon pricing tolling under the congestion pricing program in New York City.
"The FHWA will contact NYSDOT and its project sponsors to discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations under this terminated pilot project," said Duffy in the letter dated Wednesday.
Duffy added he shared U.S. President Donald Trump's concerns about the impacts of the congestion pricing project to working class Americans.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) filed papers in federal court on Wednesday to ensure that the highly successful program 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, said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber 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," said Lieber.
New York City started to implement the congestion pricing program on Jan. 5 in phases and, in particular, passenger vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street need to pay 9 U.S. dollars once per day.
The congestion pricing program is seen as effective in reducing congestion and the MTA is expected to add 1 billion U.S. dollars of revenues each year to fund its capital spending plan of as much as 15 billion dollars.
Still, controversy around the congestion plan has led to multiple lawsuits in New York and New Jersey.
The Manhattan congestion pricing plan was first introduced and approved in 2019 under the administration of then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. ■
