NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The head of the MTA said a deadline set by the Trump administration to end congestion pricing this week will “come and go” and the tolling program will continue to the benefit of the city.
Last month, the Federal Highway Administration said New York must comply with its order to halt the $9 toll into Manhattan below 60th Street by March 21.
Speaking Tuesday at an unrelated event for Transit Workers Appreciation Day, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “This is not a test of wills, it’s just the reality of when you have a dispute, things don’t change until a court orders it, and that hasn’t taken place.”
“And we don’t expect it will, because we’re on pretty strong legal footing,” he added.
“The deadline will come and go, and the congestion pricing program will continue to deliver a much better traffic environment for New York and a lot of economic benefits as well,” Lieber said.
He said the program has been in place for 10 weeks and has been “successful by every standard” in delivering benefits like faster travel, cleaner air and a quieter environment.
The MTA has previously said there’s been a 10% reduction in traffic in Manhattan since the program began Jan 5.
The agency is on track to generate roughly $500 million by the end of the year from the toll—money that is planned for subway, bus and other transit upgrades.
“The biggest city in the country—which is 10% of the national economy—we are totally dependent on mass transit in order to power our economy,” Lieber said.
While ordering a halt to the program last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the toll a “slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners.”
The toll has faced major pushback for years from multiple groups, including suburban drivers, taxi cabbies and the state of New Jersey, but it has so far survived the legal challenges.