NYC Introduces ‘Congestion Pricing’ Tolls, Trump Vows To Kill Measure During Second Term

Pedestrians walk past a congestion pricing warning sign on 5th Avenue as congestion pricing begins taking effect in New York City on January 05, 2024.

New York City has introduced a new $9 toll to enter the center of Manhattan during peak hours, a measure President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to kill during his second term.

The toll, marketed as “congestion pricing” under New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D-N.Y.) leadership, is aimed at reducing the amount of traffic in the Big Apple.

The new $9 fee to enter Manhattan during peak hours is on top of the various tolls commuters pay to cross the bridges and tunnels to enter the city to begin with.

Trump has vowed to kill the new program, stating the new congestion tax “will put New York City at a disadvantage over competing cities and states, and businesses will flee.”

“Not only is this a massive tax to people coming in, it is extremely inconvenient from both driving and personal booking keeping standards,” he continued. “It will be virtually impossible for New York City to come back as long as the congestion tax is in effect.”

The toll was previously supposed to be implemented last year. However, Hochul decided to pause the program prior to the 2024 election as it could have hurt Congressional races for New York Democrats in suburban areas around the city due to its unpopularity.

New Jersey Democrats are also railing against the program on behalf of their constituents who commute to New York City.

“I remain opposed to New York’s decision to implement their congestion pricing tax – which will fund the MTA on the backs of New Jersey commuters without any real investments in NJ TRANSIT or study of how the policy will impact New Jersey families,” wrote Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.).

“This new tax will raise costs for New Jerseyans, while also worsening traffic and increasing pollution in New Jersey as commuters go out of their way to seek more affordable routes into New York,” she continued.

New York Republican Representative Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) also spoke out against Hochul’s “scheme.”

“@GovKathyHochul’s congestion pricing scheme is nothing more than a massive new tax on working families. She thinks YOU should bail out the MTA for their crappy budgeting. Visit congestionpricingsucks.com and let Hochul know you’re against her congestion pricing cash grab!” he wrote in an X post.

Meanwhile, two New York City firefighter unions also railed against the congestion toll program, stating that it will most likely negatively affect response times.

“Fire engines and fire trucks will be delayed because the FDNY will have to use those vehicles to move firefighters around the city because firefighters that will no longer bring their cars into the zone will have no other way to get to a different work location with their gear,” stated Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro. “This is not just a logistical issue — it’s a public health crisis in the making.”

James Brosi, the president of the Fire Officers Association, also slammed the initiative, stating that “congestion pricing will burden residents with millions in added costs annually. It’s an unfair tax that doesn’t account for the critical needs of emergency services.”

“Congestion pricing should not come at the expense of public safety,” both union leaders added in a joint statement. “We urge city and state officials to address these critical concerns before implementing a policy that puts every New Yorker at risk.”

Additionally, as everyday Americans are incentivized to utilize public transit to avoid the high tolls, the level of violence on NYC subway cars remains high as felony assaults are up by 55% compared to 2019.

Within 2024, 10 people were murdered in the subway, and there were 25 reported incidents of individuals being pushed onto the tracks, consistently outpacing previous violent crime statistics.

Mere hours after the congestion pricing went into effect, a man was stabbed in a Bronx train station on Sunday.

The recent stabbing only increases fears of violent crime on the subways following a high profile murder where a woman was burned to death in a New York Subway in December.

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