NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – Congestion pricing tolls generated $48.7 million for the MTA in January, according to data released Monday.
In the same period, the program cost $11.1 million to operate, according to a report from the MTA's finance committee.
The tolling program started on Jan. 5, charging drivers up to $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak traffic times. On Monday, the finance committee will discuss the revenue findings at a livestreamed meeting.
The January numbers exceeded expectations. The MTA will need to generate $500 million in congestion pricing tolls over the next year or just over $40 million per month.
MTA officials and Gov. Kathy Hochul have called the tolling program an early success, pointing to metrics like increased public transit ridership and decreased car traffic in the Central Business District.
However, the program faces challenges from the federal government. Earlier in February, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy pulled the federal government's approval of congestion pricing under the federal Value Pricing Pilot Program.
The MTA immediately took legal action, calling Duffy's decision "unlawful."
Hochul has said the cameras will stay on, and the tolling program will remain as planned.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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