New York’s mass transit system could be in for an uncertain future under a second Donald Trump administration, and advocates are now pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul to start the congestion pricing program before his inauguration on Jan. 20.
The Manhattan tolling program, which would fund billions of dollars in mass transit improvements, has been on “temporary pause” since Hochul announced the suspension in June, much to the furor of advocates who are seeking to reverse the pause in court . On social media, Trump has previously promised to “TERMINATE” congestion pricing in his first week in office, putting the MTA in a race against the clock to secure $15 billion of capital funding before it potentially disappears forever. “Gov.
Hochul must race against time to secure the money New Yorkers need to fix our aging subway and protect riders from climate change,” said Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director at the Riders Alliance. “Right now, our governor must fund the reliable trains and accessible stations that she paused for political gain.” The stakes are dire for New York.
The pause on congestion pricing blew a $16.5 billion hole in the MTA’s $55 billion 2020-24 capital plan, imperiling priorities like expanding the Second Avenue Subway, modernizing subway signals on multiple lines, and making the system more accessible for people with disabilities. The MTA now has a new proposed five-year capital plan worth $68 billion , which officials say largely .
