Congestion Pricing In NYC Clears Federal Roadblock

NEW YORK CITY — A plan to impose tolls to clear up traffic jams in Manhattan cleared a long-standing federal roadblock.

The city's congestion pricing plan got a green light from Department of Transportation officials on Tuesday.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who pressed new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the plan, learned about the approval during his daily briefing Tuesday.

"This is something that is going to have so much to do with the future of New York City, because the future is mass transit," he said. "Having a reliable revenue source for mass transit, this is going to make huge difference for everyday New Yorkers."

City and MTA officials drew up the congestion pricing proposal in 2019 to not only reduce traffic jams, but also raise up to $15 billion in revenue for subways and buses.

But plans to set tolls on cars entering Manhattan below 61st Street starting in January got delayed by former President Donald Trump's administration, which held up an environmental review and threatened to delay plans until at least 2023.

President Joe Biden's election revived hopes for the plan, which would be the first in the nation.

Patrick Foye, MTA's chairman and CEO, praised Biden and Buttigieg for quickly advancing the application.

“With this guidance on an environmental assessment now in hand, the MTA is ready to hit the ground running to implement the Central Business District Tolling Program," Foye said in a statement. "We are already working on preliminary design for the roadway toll system and infrastructure, and we look forward to working with our colleagues at the Federal Highway Administration to conduct the review and broad public outreach so that we can move forward with the remainder of the program as soon as possible."