NYC’s congestion pricing raised $52M in February amid Trump pushback
Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr
New York City’s congestion pricing program brought in nearly $52 million in revenue last month, keeping it on track to reach its $500 million goal by the end of the year. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Monday released new data on the tolling system showing congestion pricing collected $51.9 million in revenue between February 1 and 28, about $3 million more than January. While the figures are promising, the program’s future remains uncertain due to ongoing tensions between New York State and the Trump administration, which ordered Gov. Kathy Hochul to shut it down.
According to MTA Co-Chief Financial Officer Jai Patel, the breakdown of the revenue collected last month from the program, which charges drivers $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, was 66 percent from passenger vehicles, 24 percent from taxis and for-hire vehicles, 9 percent from trucks, and 1 percent from buses and motorcycles. About 95 percent of the revenue came during peak times.
Program expenses—including camera operations and customer service—were $9.5 million, with an additional $2 million for mitigation efforts, resulting in a net gain of $40.4 million. The total net revenue from the program between its first day on January 5 and February 28 was $78 million, according to Patel.
“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,” Patel said. “The program continues to reduce traffic while generating projected funds for critical transit projects.”
The MTA is relying on the revenue generated by the program to fund $15 billion in critical repairs and upgrades throughout NYC’s public transit system. These improvements include modernizing train signals, enhancing station accessibility, purchasing new subway cars and buses, and major projects such as the Second Avenue Subway and Interborough Express.
However, this funding is under threat from the Trump administration, which announced in February plans to reverse federal funding for congestion pricing, following through on a campaign promise to kill the program during his first week in office. The MTA responded by immediately filing a lawsuit to protect congestion pricing.
A day later, the Federal Highway Administration set a March 21 deadline for the MTA to end the program, according to Gothamist.
On Friday, the administration gave New York a 30-day extension on its deadline, calling Gov. Kathy Hochul’s refusal to end the program “unacceptable.” That same day, Hochul held a rally promoting congestion pricing and highlighting the program’s successes.
According to the governor, traffic was down 11 percent in the Central Business District (CBD) in February compared to the same time last year, with three million fewer vehicles entering the CBD in January and February than in 2023.
Hochul also emphasized an increase in business within the CBD, with Broadway show attendance up 19 percent and restaurant reservations up 5 percent, as well as transit ridership up across the subway, buses, and regional rail, as 6sqft previously reported.
The MTA will release monthly revenue reports to maintain transparency about the program. Data on the number of vehicles entering the congestion pricing zone and roads excluded from the program are also available here.
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