The King has spoken, and he wants congestion pricing dead as a doornail.
President Trump hit the brakes on the congestion pricing scheme that was milking motorists driving in Manhattan to fill a $30 billion pothole in the MTA budget. The cash grab was idled to get the Democrats through the November election and was given the green light by Gov. Kathy Hochul on January 5.
It’s back to the drawing board for Hochul to figure out a way to replace the $500 million they were going to wrangle out of the motorists, money detractors say could easily be saved by paring down the bloated agency and doing a better job in cracking down on toll evaders.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED,” Trump boasted on his Truth Social account. “LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Thanks to the Congestion Pricing tolls, according to the governor, “Broadway shows are selling out and foot traffic to local businesses is spiking. School buses are getting kids to class on time, and yellow cab trips increased by 10 percent. Transit ridership is up, drivers are having a better experience, and support for this program is growing every day," Hochul said, adding: "We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We'll see you in court.”
Outside of the Democrats, New York officials were ecstatic over the move. “BIG news! President Trump kept his word & is halting the #NYC Congestion Pricing cash grab!” posted Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. “Since first speaking with him in May, he agreed that this tax unfairly doubles tolls on our constituents, would have a negative impact on our city's economy, & he would reverse President Biden’s rubber stamp.”
“This was a blatant cash grab from the get-go to bail out the horribly mismanaged MTA on the backs of drivers from Long Island and others who travel into Manhattan to work,” Assemblyman Joe DeStefano stated. “We’re glad President Trump saw through this and put his foot down. Now the governor and the MTA have to get rid of the waste and abuse of the system and leave the motorists alone,” said the Assemblyman, who has called for a New York Department of Government Efficiency similar to the one uncovering billions in federal waste.
“From the beginning, I have led the effort to end Congestion Pricing and am grateful to the President for following through on his commitment to end this scam,” said Congressman Mike Lawler, who is expected to run against Hochul next year. “I will not stop fighting until it’s dead for good and the MTA is held accountable for its decades of mismanagement and waste.”
The chairman of the state Conservative Party, Gerard Kassar, exclaimed: "Bravo, President Trump! The unfair and onerous Congestion Pricing Tax scam on New Yorkers is dead. Let's hope it never sees the light of day again. New Yorkers should thank President Trump, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Congressman Mike Lawler, and so many other Conservative-Republican leaders who refused to let this government injustice stand.”
The tax was a “scandal from the start,” according to Kassar. “The hopelessly mismanaged MTA, which fails to collect billions of dollars in fares and tolls each year, again tried to pass the cost of its incompetence onto New Yorkers who are already paying for MTA services. How could Governor Kathy Hochul and her progressive colleagues not have expected the enormous public blowback?” he wondered.
“Thank you, President Trump, for putting an end to Governor Hochul and New York Democrats’ anti-suburban, anti-worker congestion pricing scheme,” Rep. Nick LaLota commented. “Long Islanders shouldn’t be forced to bail out NYC’s mismanaged and bloated MTA.”
“Congestion pricing has not only consistently withstood significant legal challenges, emerging victorious in every court decision to date, but it has also become immensely popular among New Yorkers, delivering on its promises—less traffic, fewer crashes, and reduced noise pollution, all contributing to safer, quieter streets,” argued Rep. Jerry Nadler. “The notion of revoking approval for a federal initiative of this magnitude is nearly without precedent. I firmly believe that there is no legal basis for the President to unilaterally halt this program. The Value Pricing Program is solidly established under federal law, and its approval cannot be arbitrarily revoked, especially when it is clearly delivering tangible benefits.”
“Today is a resounding victory for the hardworking citizens of New York State,” said Senate Speaker Rob Ortt. “President Trump has once again demonstrated that he understands the financial struggles facing so many New Yorkers and recognizes how the congestion pricing tax was a gimmick to fund the mismanaged and bloated MTA. I'm grateful for the fact that we have partners in the Federal Government in the Executive Office and representatives in Congress who stand by willing to do the job this Governor won't, and protect the wallets of hardworking New Yorkers from the crippling out-of-touch Albany agenda.”