President Trump, Gov. Hochul negotiate fate of congestion pricing program​on February 11, 2025 at 5:02 am

MANHATTAN (WABC) — President Trump has been speaking with Governor Kathy Hochul about the future of congestion pricing and appeared open to a deal to end the tolling program.

That would include a major multibillion-dollar federal investment in the city’s transportation infrastructure.

Congestion pricing is entering its sixth week and the results are undeniable.

Traffic is moving faster through the congestion zone, south of 60th Street. And the tunnels into and out of Manhattan are often wide open, even during rush hour.

Nearly a quarter of a million new riders have found their way onto the transit system.

But President Trump has questioned congestion pricing publicly and privately. And maybe trying to end the program in negotiations with Governor Kathy Hochul.

“I think it’s really horrible,” Trump told The New York Post over the weekend, “but I want to discuss it with her at this point. If I decide to do it,” he said, “I will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation.”

Whether he has the power to do that is not clear.

Some legal experts say any attempt by the Trump Administration to end congestion pricing would end up in the courts with the tolling system remaining in effect.

That might explain why the President may be seeking a negotiated end, perhaps in exchange for more federal transportation funding.

Columbia law professor Michael Gerrard is a supporter of congestion pricing.

“It’s hard to envision what the political deal would be, unless Trump came up with a way to throw a whole lot of other money at the state. I mean, if that were to happen, then maybe there’d be something to talk about,” Gerrard said.

Trump is also said to be critical of e-bikes and the city’s expanding network of bike lanes.

In recent days, the Governor has sounded less than encouraged about her conversations with President Trump.

“I don’t know what the outcome will be. All I know is, I’ll always go into the arena and fight,” Hochul said.

“I have to be able to convince him, and I’ll do my best,” Hochul said.

The money from congestion pricing is intended to help maintain and upgrade New York’s transit system, which includes making transit more accessible to the disabled.

At a press conference announcing the agency’s latest efforts to help the deaf and hearing impaired, the MTA’s chief accessibility officer sounded hopeful.

“We are committed to it. That is not wavering and we are not changing our narrative. We are doubling down on accessibility and we will continue to do so,” Quemuel Arroyo, MTA Chief Accessibility Officer said.

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