Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to terminate New York City’s controversial “congestion pricing” plan, the latest data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) indicates that the policy implemented earlier this year has already generated $159 million in revenue in the first quarter, nearing the expected target of $160 million. In March alone, approximately $58.4 million was collected.
MTA released the data on Monday (April 28), showing that drivers entering the area south of 60th Street in Manhattan have to pay an additional fee under the congestion pricing plan that has been in effect since January 5 until March 31. The plan was initially projected to bring in around $160 million in the first quarter, and the actual revenue collected so far aligns closely with this projection.
In February of this year, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, overturned the federal government’s approval of the congestion pricing plan. Subsequently, MTA promptly filed a lawsuit seeking to block this action. Currently, the Trump administration has demanded a response from MTA by May 21, warning that the Department of Transportation may halt the authorization of certain infrastructure projects and potentially withhold federal funding if MTA fails to comply.
MTA emphasized that unless ordered by the court, the agency will not proactively cease the collection of fees. This legal battle is expected to continue into the latter half of 2025.
According to MTA, the primary goals of collecting congestion pricing fees are to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. Prior to the implementation of the plan, data from MTA indicates that the number of vehicles entering the toll area decreased by approximately 5.8 million in the first three months, leading to significant alleviation of traffic congestion in parts of Manhattan, with a 20% increase in bus commuting speeds.
MTA aims to raise $500 million this year through congestion pricing and leverage this as collateral to further secure $15 billion for upgrading transportation infrastructure.