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The Trump administration announced on February 19, 2025, that it was withdrawing federal approval for New York City’s congestion toll. That announcement did not end toll collection: on March 3, 2026, a federal judge declared the attempted termination unlawful, and the MTA’s current information page says tolling is active. Separately, NYC Health’s evaluation of the program’s first year found citywide air quality stable or slightly improved, with no increase attributable to the program in the environmental-justice communities studied. Those findings do not establish that pollution has disappeared or settle every neighborhood’s air quality over time.
What DOT tried to do—and what the court decided
New York’s Congestion Relief Zone began tolling on January 5, 2025, under an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) through the federal Value Pricing Pilot Program. On February 19, 2025, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that FHWA was terminating that approval.
The administration argued that cordon pricing left many drivers without a toll-free option and that toll rates were shaped primarily by transit revenue needs rather than congestion reduction. Those were the administration’s stated policy and legal reasons, not neutral findings. Duffy called the plan “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners.”
The MTA and related plaintiffs challenged the federal action. A preliminary injunction in May 2025 blocked implementation of the attempted termination. On March 3, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted partial summary judgment to the plaintiffs and declared the federal termination unlawful. The court also said attempts to enforce the February 19 and April 21 letters would be unlawful. The available case information does not establish whether a later appeal or order changed the status after that ruling, so it should not be described as necessarily final or unappealed.
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Sources: USDOT’s February 19, 2025 announcement; the March 3, 2026 court opinion and order.
Is New York City still collecting the toll?
Yes. The MTA’s current toll information page describes toll collection as active. The federal announcement was an attempted termination, not an immediate halt to tolling; the injunction and later court ruling prevented that attempted termination from taking effect.
The MTA defines the Congestion Relief Zone as local Manhattan streets and avenues south of and including 60th Street. The FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street are excluded. MTA’s listed peak periods are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. For passenger and small commercial vehicles using valid E-ZPass, the page lists a $9 peak toll and a $2.25 overnight toll. Charges vary by vehicle class, crossing credits, and payment method. MTA describes a planned phase-in to $12 in 2028 and $15 in 2031; check its current page for any updates before relying on a rate or schedule.
See the MTA’s Congestion Relief Zone toll information for current details.
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What the first-year air-quality evaluation found
In an August 14, 2026 announcement, NYC Health said its first comprehensive evaluation found citywide air quality remained stable or improved slightly during the toll program’s first year. It also reported no increase attributable to the program in the studied environmental-justice communities. NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said the report showed that “air quality across New York City was not any different because of congestion pricing.” That statement summarizes the agency’s first-year comparison; it is not a claim that all pollution has ended or that every location had identical readings.
The evaluation examined four traffic-related pollutants: fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), and black carbon. Measurements covered one full year before tolling and one year afterward. The study used a control site and statistical modeling intended to account for weather, seasonal variation, and regional wildfire smoke. NYC Health developed the evaluation with the MTA, NYC DOT, and NYSDOT.
The result is evidence about the measured pollutants, locations, and first-year period—not a guarantee about future conditions or every block in the city. The announcement also notes that the long-running NYC Community Air Survey documents a multi-decade trend of improving air quality and that more work is needed to mitigate traffic-related pollution.
NYC Health said congestion-pricing investment had directed over $120 million to city air-quality and public-health initiatives. That is an investment figure, not a measured reduction in pollution. The announcement does not give a single pollution-reduction percentage or citywide emissions total.
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Sources: NYC Health’s August 14, 2026 announcement and its first-year air-quality evaluation.
Does the attempted rescission mean the city was condemned to more pollution?
The evidence here does not support that conclusion. The administration’s attempt to withdraw approval was a legal and policy action; it is not itself evidence that emissions rose. The City’s evaluation found no first-year increase attributable to congestion pricing in the studied communities and reported stable or slightly improved citywide air quality. Neither finding proves the toll caused cleaner air everywhere, nor does it predict what air quality will be in future years.
For readers assessing the financial impact, the immediate practical point is that the MTA currently says tolling continues. Check the MTA page for the applicable charge and current operating details before driving into the zone.
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