The Trump administration said Wednesday it is canceling federal approval of New York City’s controversial congestion-pricing program that charged vehicles a toll for entering busy parts of Manhattan.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the scope of the program is “unprecedented” and provided no toll-free option for many drivers, including working people whose taxes contributed to highway construction. He also objected to the program’s toll amount, which was set based on what’s needed to fund public transit rather than as an incentive to lower auto traffic.
“Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes,” Mr. Duffy said. “But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It’s backwards and unfair.”
The decision is a setback for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who pushed the program earlier this year after fits and starts. Some New Yorkers also said the program was having its desired effect, reducing auto pollution and making midtown Manhattan less congested and more pleasant for pedestrians and bikers.
Yet there were gripes about the toll from small businesses who rely on customers coming from outside Manhattan and drivers from New Jersey and Connecticut who used their cars to enter the city.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, was a vocal opponent of the program, making him an unusual ally on this issue with the Trump team instead of Ms. Hochul.
Critics said the program might have been designed to boost public transportation, but for now, they were forced into a transit system that is unreliable.
The federal transportation agency is rescinding a Nov. 21 agreement under the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP) that authorized the $9 toll on vehicles that traveled below 60th Street in Manhattan.
Mr. Duffy said that except for limited exceptions allowed by Congress, roads constructed with federal highway fund aid cannot be charge tolls. His department said it would work with the project’s leaders on an “orderly termination of the tolls.”
“Every American should be able to access New York City regardless of their economic means,” Mr. Duffy said. “It shouldn’t be reserved for an elite few.”
No date was given on when the federal approval will be withdrawn, and the administration’s move is likely to face a legal challenge before it can be implemented.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.