Congestion Tolls Are Here to Stay Until October, Court Timeline Shows
NEW YORK—Court documents filed recently with the federal court in the legal battle between the federal government and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority concerning the controversial congestion pricing program in New York City reveal that any court ruling will likely not be handed down until at least October.
An April 4 letter to U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman stated that the federal government, which has previously ordered the MTA to cease collecting the congestion pricing tolls, revealed that the MTA and New York City Department of Transportation have agreed to a timeline of the filing of various motions, including motions to dismiss, which will push any possible court ruling into the fall of this year.
On Feb. 19, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul purporting to “terminate” the agreement authorizing the Congestion Pricing program. Sec. Duffy claimed that he had discovered an unwritten restriction in federal law, a secret loophole establishing that the Congestion Pricing Program had never been lawfully authorized.
However, on March 20 Sec. Duffy announced he would extend the deadline for New York City to end its congestion pricing program for 30 days.
Since the USDOT’s initial order to shut down congestion pricing, the Riders Alliance and the Sierra Club filed a new legal complaint against the Trump Administration’s Department of Transportation for attempting to end New York City’s long-awaited Congestion Pricing program, less than two months after the program’s successful launch. The legal complaint charges that the Trump administration made serious legal mistakes in its rush to deprive New Yorkers of the benefits of Congestion Pricing, and that these mistakes suggest that the administration is acting pretextually. The groups filed to join the MTA’s lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York as interveners.
In addition, the MTA released two positive reports for January and February showing that revenue from congestion pricing had exceeded its expectations. The MTA announced on March 24 that from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, tolls from the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) generated $51.9 million in revenue with a net after expenses of $40.4 million. This keeps the program on track to provide the $500 million that was initially projected, MTA officials stated.
Congestion Pricing Revenue Hits Revenue Targets in February
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on March 24 that from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, tolls from the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) generated $51.9 million in revenue with a net after expenses of $40.4 million. This keeps the program on track to provide the $500 million that was initially projected, MTA officials stated.
“Once again, the extensive studies done are proving to be reliable as we close the second month of the program with revenue in line with projections,” said MTA Co-Chief Financial Officer Jai Patel. “The program continues to reduce traffic while generating projected funds for critical transit projects.”
$51.9 million was collected from the tolling program, 24% of which comes from taxis and for hire vehicles ($12.3 million), 66% comes from passenger vehicles, 9% from trucks, and 1% from buses and motorcycles. Meanwhile, 95% of revenue was gathered during peak tolling hours.
Expenses from the program, including operating camera infrastructure and customer service, amounted to $9.5 million. Combined with another $2 million for mitigation efforts, expenses totaled $11.5 million. This resulted in a net surplus of $40.4 million.
Congestion Relief revenue funds projects in the 2020-2024 Capital Program include: accessible stations upgrades, installing modern signaling on Fulton line in Brooklyn and Liberty Ave. in Queens on the A and C lines, new rolling stock, zero-emission buses, and extending the Second Ave. Subway into East Harlem.
On March 21, Gov. Kathy Hochul, business and transit leaders held a rally in Manhattan and reported that traffic is down and business is up in Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD).
“Since congestion pricing took effect over two months ago, traffic is down and business is up – and that’s the kind of progress we’re going to keep delivering for New Yorkers,” Gov. Hochul said. “Every day, more New Yorkers are seeing and hearing the benefits for our commutes, quality of life and economy – and we’re not going back.”
MTA CEO and Chair Janno Lieber said, “Congestion relief is working, cars and buses are moving faster, foot traffic is up and even noise complaints are down. That’s why, in poll after poll, more and more New Yorkers are saying they want those benefits to stay – and they will.”
Congestion Polling by the Numbers
- Traffic was down 11% in the CBD this past February compared to the same time last year.
- Three million fewer vehicles entered the CBD in January and February compared to the same time last year.
- Traffic was moving up to 30% faster on bridge and tunnel crossings in February compared to the same time last year.
- Commuters are saving up to 21 minutes per trip into the CBD.
- Bus service was faster throughout the CBD, with up to 23 customer trips on express buses delayed 10 minutes or more.
- Complaints about excessive car horn honking within the CBD were down by more than 70% in January and February compared to the same time last year.
- Broadway show attendance was up 19% in January and February compared to the same time last year.
- Restaurant reservations in the CBD rose 5% from January to mid-March compared to the same time last year.
- Retail sales in the CBD are on track to be $900 million higher in 2025 compared to last year.
- Workers coming to the office in the CBD on an average weekday increased 6.6% in February compared to the same time last year.
Transit ridership in January and February 2025 grew significantly compared to the same time last year. Bus ridership was up 9%, subway ridership was up 6%, Long Island Rail Road ridership was up 8%, and Metro-North Railroad ridership was up 4%.
Published: April 17, 2025.