Lawfare Hasn’t Stopped Congestion Pricing – But Politics Might

The United States is one month into its first experiment in congestion pricing.  New York City began its long-delayed congestion pricing program for lower Manhattan on January 5. As New Yorkers adjust their travel habits, early results for the program are rolling in. The program may not last long, however. The Trump Administration has signaled that it is looking for an opportunity to cancel the program, but for the timing being is negotiating with Governor Hochul. A bevy of federal lawsuits failed to win an injunction to block or delay the beginning of congestion pricing, but several of them are still playing out in court.

If it stays in place, the effects of New York’s congestion pricing program will take years to materialize in full. Those effects will not be limited to bridge traffic and transit use, but also regional economic growth, traffic patterns and business relocations. The financial future of the Metropolitan Transit Administration (MTA) also hangs in the balance.