NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Supporters of congestion pricing planned to dance under the toll cameras in Manhattan on Friday, as Gov. Kathy Hochul said they “sure as hell are” staying on—despite a warning from the federal government that New York is “on notice” and must kill the tolling program.
Lawmakers, residents and other advocates—including State Senator Hoylman-Sigal and Council Member Gale Brewer—were set to join the groups Transportation Alternatives and the Riders Alliance for a “Foot Traffic Jam for Congestion Pricing” in Columbus Circle on Friday evening. The street party was set to include a DJ and take place near the tolling cameras by Trump International Hotel and Tower.
"This isn’t just a party — it’s a statement. We’re turning up the energy, showing our power, and proving that less traffic means more life in the big city," Transportation Alternatives said of the party.
The groups have been vocal proponents for the program over the years as it has faced numerous challenges—the most recent being a direct demand from the Trump administration that New York scrap the program altogether, months after it began in January.
Hochul was also in Manhattan earlier Friday to promote the program. She hopped on a crosstown bus at 14th Street to show how she says congestion pricing is speeding up commute times for New Yorkers by alleviating traffic congestion.
The governor put out a press release Friday listing off the benefits of the toll. The release included a show of support from dozens of lawmakers, elected leaders, business advocates and community stakeholders, some of whom were on hand for a press conference and rally in the Flatiron District.
The governor said there's now data showing that the $9 daily toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street is "lifting up this city."
“Not only is traffic down and business is up,” Hochul said, “but also subway ridership is up, and crime is down.”
Among the figures touted: an 11% drop in traffic and 3 million fewer vehicles in the congestion zone in February, compared to last year. The governor also said traffic is 30% faster at bridge and tunnel crossings and that commuters are saving 21 minutes per trip to the zone.
On the business front, Hochul said Broadway attendance is up 19% compared to last year; restaurant reservations are up 5%; and retail sales in the zone are on track to be $900 million higher in 2025 compared to last year. The number of workers coming into offices also increased 6.6% in February.
As for mass transit—which congestion pricing is supposed to help fund updates on to the tune of $500 million a year—Hochul said bus ridership is up 9%; subway ridership is up 6%; Long Island Rail Road ridership is up 8%; and Metro-North Railroad ridership is up 4%.
On Thursday, the Trump administration pushed back Friday's deadline for New York to axe the toll, but it also put the state “on notice.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he was giving the state an additional 30 days as “discussions continue” on the administration’s demand.
But he also lashed out at New York officials, who have said for weeks they did not intend to comply with the deadline as they have filed a lawsuit challenging Duffy’s decision to rescind the toll’s federal approval last month.
“Your refusal to end cordon pricing and your open disrespect towards the federal government is unacceptable,” Duffy wrote in a strongly worded post on X, formerly Twitter. “Know that the billions of dollars the federal government sends to New York are not a blank check. Continued noncompliance will not be taken lightly.”
Duffy announced last month that the federal government was rescinding its approval of the program, calling the tolls' “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners.” Those opposed to the plan have included many suburban drivers, cabbies and the state of New Jersey. They've categorized it as a "money grab."
Hochul, meanwhile, has met privately with President Donald Trump at least twice in recent weeks to convince him to drop his opposition to the toll.
On Friday, she encouraged him to be “opened minded to the benefits” of congestion pricing as a businessman with property and employees in the city.
“Our president is a New Yorker,” she said. “He understands that we don’t exist without a highly functioning, effective, safe subway system.”
She added that she has a “direct communication line to the president, and I feel confident we’ll find a path forward.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.