Exclusive: New Yorkers Blast City’s Congestion Traffic Pricing as “Borderline Stealing”
New York City workers are expressing their frustration with the city’s congestion traffic pricing in a powerful new ad released by the Department of Transportation. The ad features interviews with workers who believe that the tolls on the streets are yet another burden on top of raised toll prices and train fares.
“It’s definitely borderline stealing,” one man passionately states in the clip. Another worker adds, “It’s ridiculous, it’s destroying the city.” The sentiment is echoed by many others who feel that these tolls make it more expensive for them to commute to work.
The Trump administration is taking a strong stance against this fee, arguing that it is necessary to curb traffic in Manhattan. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasizes that hard-working New Yorkers are not angry at the White House, but rather at being charged $9 to use their own streets. He urges an end to congestion pricing, stating, “Don’t take it from me, listen to what the people have to say.”
Federal Highway Administration Executive Director Gloria Shepherd has written a letter calling for an end to the tolls. Despite being a pilot program, the tolls have proven to be lucrative, generating $37.5 million in January alone. In response to Shepherd’s request, Duffy has also scrapped the agreement between the department and New York that was put in place during the Biden era.
However, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has vowed to resist the FHWA’s request, stating that it is not a lawful order. She has expressed her commitment to fighting for the continuation of the program through legal means.
John J. McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, supports this resistance, declaring that they have already filed a lawsuit and now it is up to the courts to decide the fate of congestion pricing.
The tolls are currently in effect daily in Manhattan on and south of 60th Street. The controversy surrounding congestion traffic pricing continues to escalate, with both sides firmly entrenched in their positions.
In Conclusion
The battle over congestion traffic pricing in New York City has intensified as workers express their anger and frustration with the tolls on the streets. The Trump administration is pushing for an end to this fee, arguing that it is an unnecessary burden on hard-working New Yorkers. On the other hand, Governor Kathy Hochul and other supporters of the program are resisting the call to end it, citing legal grounds. The fate of congestion pricing in New York City now rests in the hands of the courts.
