Trump Again Targets Congestion Pricing Plan In NYC, Calls City 'A Ghost Town'

NEW YORK, NY — New York City's congestion pricing is again in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump, who says he wants to revisit it because the city is "getting killed by" the pricing.

Trump said he was asking Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to look again at eliminating the program, which he said has turned New York City into "a ghost town."

New York City had seen nearly 18 million fewer vehicles come into the city since congestion pricing began in January, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in early September, reducing traffic and traffic injuries.

Trump, in his post on Truth Social, called the congestion pricing "ridiculous."

"People have to pay a fortune to come into Manhattan - So they just don’t come!" he wrote.

Trump has been trying to kill the program since February, but so far New York has won the battle in court, with a temporary restraining order issued through June 9 blocking the federal government's attempt to shut it down still in place.

In addition to reducing traffic, the congestion pricing is designed to raise money for the MTA. Through August, it has brought in $365 million for the MTA and is on track to raise $500 million by the end of 2025, Crain's New York Business reported.

Those funds are aimed at improving New York City's transit system.

On Monday, Hochul announced there will be increased weekday service on two subway lines in the city, the A and L lines, to reduce wait times for riders. The lines serve more than 100,000 people, according to the MTA. Read more: These 2 Subways Will Run More Often, MTA Says

"When we launched congestion pricing, I made a promise to New Yorkers that we would deliver tangible improvements to transit service and by adding more trips on two of the busiest subway lines, we are doing just that," Hochul said. "More frequent subway service means less waiting on platforms and reduced crowding on trains — two big wins for riders."

The program has seen increasing support from city residents, according to a Siena poll in March. Congestion Pricing Support Rises Among NYC Residents, New Poll Finds

In June Hochul said congestion pricing had not only increased mass transit use in the city but also increasing activity in the zone in the first four months the program was in effect, increasing pedestrian traffic, hotel occupancy, commercial office leasing and the number of jobs in the city.

"New York City now has the most jobs in its history – nearing 4.86 million in April 2025," Hochul said in June. "That represents 1.6% growth over April 2024, outpacing the national average of 1.1%."

"Gridlock is bad for the economy," Hochul said.

"Before congestion pricing was launched, businesses and individuals were wasting hundreds of hours sitting in traffic, costing the economy $20 billion per year," she said, citing a report from the Partnership for New York City. "Congestion pricing is a locally developed solution to a generational challenge."