President Donald Trump’s administration moved Wednesday to halt congestion pricing tolls in Democrat-run New York City, a move designed to spare small business owners, commuters and workers the burden of paying to access Manhattan.
As Breitbart News reported, the punitive tolling system was launched on Jan. 5. It uses license plate readers to impose a $9 toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan neighborhoods south of Central Park.
The federal government has rescinded its approval of the program, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy confirmed, calling the toll’s financial burden “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners.”
The Federal Highway Administration will work with the state on an “orderly termination of the tolls,” according to the statement.
The president vowed to kill the plan as soon as he took office.
To enter Manhattan, commuters from other states and boroughs already pay around $15 in bridge and tunnel tolls — and the congestion fee will come on top of that. https://t.co/8Ua1ST8Y0x
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 28, 2024
The Republican declared victory on his social networking site Truth Social after the Transportation Department announcement.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED.” Trump wrote, adding, “LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The White House’s official account posted a tweet quoting Trump’s words and adding an image meant to look like a TIME magazine cover portraying Trump with a golden crown atop his head.
"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 19, 2025
–President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB
The goals of what is known as “congestion pricing” are to reduce gridlock and pollution and raise revenue for public transit.
In reality, see it a naked cash grab imposed on drivers using roadways they have already payed for through their taxes and rates.
