Congestion Pricing and Transit Are a Necessary Alliance

 A new report from the Mineta Transportation Institute, Using Toll Revenues for Transit: It Can and Should Be Done, reinforces a long-held view in transportation circles: congestion pricing programs only succeed when paired with strong public transit. The report makes a clear case that toll revenue should be reinvested into transit options that are fast, frequent, convenient, and safe — giving commuters a true alternative to driving.

At a recent panel hosted by the MIT Mobility Initiative, transportation leaders weighed in on New York City’s early results with congestion pricing, including:

• Sam Schwartz, former NYC Traffic Commissioner and CEO of Sam Schwartz Engineering, who emphasized the foundational need for both “serious congestion” and “good transit” for any congestion pricing program to succeed.
• Will Carry, Assistant Commissioner for Policy at NYC DOT, who shared that NYC has already seen 60,000 fewer cars per day entering the Manhattan congestion zone since implementation — a 10% reduction in traffic.
• Matt Daus, former NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission Chair and Partner of the Windels Marx Transportation Practice Group, who cautioned against leading with the revenue narrative. “We shouldn’t be calling it ‘congestion pricing.’” “We should have called it ‘Move New York,’ or something like that. This should be about metrics to reduce congestion. Put the environment first, and the money second.”

The panel underscored that public trust and policy success hinge on delivering better bus and subway service — without it, charging drivers is a tough sell. As Matt noted: “You can’t legitimately tell people to get out of their cars if you don’t have a public transit system that’s safe, affordable, and works on time.”
 
 These insights come at a critical time, as other cities across the U.S. — including Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco — continue exploring their own congestion pricing frameworks. The Mineta report points to successful models in Northern Virginia and the Bay Area, where tolling revenue has supported new bus routes and ferry service. With New York City serving as the first large-scale test case in the U.S., its progress will likely shape how other regions approach road pricing, equity considerations, and sustainable funding for transit over the next decade.

U.S. States Sue over Trump Freeze on Funds for Electric-Vehicle Charging Stations

Image: Bing Guan

 California and 15 other states sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, saying the federal government was illegally withholding billions of dollars awarded to states for building electric-vehicle charging stations.
  
 The U.S. Transportation Department in February suspended the EV charging program and rescinded approval of state plans pending a review.
  
 Senate Democrats said President Donald Trump was withholding more than $3 billion from the program, which was approved as part of former President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.
  
 The lawsuit, joined by the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey and Colorado among others, was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington State.
  
 The states said the administration's decision "will devastate the ability of states to build the charging infrastructure necessary for making EVs accessible to more consumers, combating climate change, reducing other harmful pollution, and supporting the states’ green economies."
  

Windels Marx Transportation Practice Group News Feed – Volume 6 (2025), Edition 91

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
 
 Controversy Erupts over Taxi Fare Cuts to Curb Drunk Driving in Greece
 The controversy surrounding Greece’s government proposal to reduce taxi fares on weekends to discourage drunk driving has sparked intense debate, particularly among taxi drivers. Thymios Lymberopoulos of the Attica Taxi Owners’ Union vehemently opposes the idea, questioning whether subsidizing taxi fares effectively promotes alcohol consumption among young people.
 
 GSA Engages Tema, Ghana Truck Drivers on Shipping Act and Transit Reforms
 Truck drivers and haulage operators were engaged in the Port of Tema by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) during a sensitization workshop focused on Ghana’s new shipping legislation and ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the country’s transit corridors. The event, held at the New Truck Park in Community One, centered on the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, and brought together key stakeholders in the transport and logistics chain. The Ghana Highways Authority provided technical insight during the session.

 
 UDART Launches First CNG-Powered Buses to Boost Public Transport
 The Dar Rapid Transit Agency (UDART) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has launched its first bus powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), marking a significant step toward reducing operational costs and enhancing public transport efficiency. The eco-friendly vehicle is the first of 100 CNG-powered buses expected to arrive in Tanzania by August this year. Speaking during the launch, UDART director Waziri Kindamba described the initiative as a much-needed intervention to improve commuting in the city.

  

NATIONAL NEWS
 
 Sean Duffy 'Concerned' about Whole U.S. Airspace, Says FAA Buys Parts on eBay
 Duffy's comments come amid mounting fears over flight safety, as several fatal crashes have recently made headlines and Newark Liberty International Airport has experienced two major telecommunications outages. Hundreds of flights were canceled and delayed at Newark over the past week, in part due to air traffic control staffing issues. The FAA is facing a staffing shortage, with about 14,000 air traffic controllers on duty but an estimated need for 3,000 more, raising concerns that the shortfall could affect passenger safety.

  
Congress Has a Chance to Make Intercity Buses Great Again 
 Today, federal law requires “reasonable access” for intercity bus providers to public transportation facilities built with Federal Transit Administration funds. The intent is clear: ensure intermodal connectivity and maximize the public return on infrastructure investment. But in practice, that “right” is often ignored, misunderstood or misapplied — largely because “reasonable access” has never been clearly defined or enforced.

  
Senate Approves Stripping School Bus Wi-Fi from E-Rate Program
 If Senator Ted Cruz gets his way, a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the Universal Services Fund that drives the federal E-Rate program might not be necessary to remove discounts for school bus Wi-Fi hotspots.

  

LOCAL NEWS
 
 Feds Order Ground Stop at Newark as Meltdown Continues at NJ Airport
 Newark Liberty International Airport saw another meltdown Sunday morning after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop at the travel hub. The feds wrote in a notice that they issued the order because they faced a shortage of air traffic controllers in Philadelphia, where flights are directed in and out of Newark. Repeated equipment malfunctions in recent weeks have caused employees at the facility to go on trauma leave.

  
NJ Transit Strike Could Hit This Week. Here’s What Commuters Need to Know. 
 NJ Transit engineers could walk off the job as soon as 12:01 a.m. Friday, May 16, after rejecting a tentative contract deal, threatening to shut down the agency’s entire commuter rail network for the first time since 1983. With more than 350,000 riders relying on that system daily, the Port Authority and MTA announced contingency plans, including expanded bus service at the Midtown Bus Terminal and ferry and shuttle options in Rockland, Orange and Newark.

  
NYPD’s Push to Criminalize Cycling Spells Trouble for Immigrant Workers 
 The policy shift quietly began two weeks ago with the NYPD saying it would begin hitting cyclists with criminal summonses instead of the typical traffic tickets. This means if you’re on a bike and you get caught breaking a traffic rule — like running a red light, riding on the sidewalk, or not yielding to a pedestrian — you will be ordered to appear in criminal court or risk an arrest warrant.

  

CONGESTION PRICING
 
 Using Toll Revenues for Transit: It Can and Should Be Done
 Public transit operations frequently emerge as a natural and beneficial investment, yet questions remain about the policy merits and legal pathways for using toll revenues in this way. In the United States, despite the presence of legal mechanisms allowing toll revenues to support transit, uncertainty and perceived regulatory barriers often deter agencies from pursuing this option.

  
Here Is Everything That Has Changed since Congestion Pricing Started in New York 
 Almost immediately after the tolls went into effect Jan. 5 — charging most vehicles $9 to enter Manhattan from 60th Street south to the Battery — they began to alter traffic patterns, commuter behavior, transit service, even the sound of gridlock and the on-time arrival of school buses.

  
Despite Political Complaints, Congestion Pricing Is Working in NYC 
 New York City’s congestion pricing program was feared dead last year, and is still subject to threats from the Trump administration. But it’s delivering results, with less traffic and more revenue for the transit system.

The Downtown Manhattan Skyport:
Quiet Flying EV Taxis and More Coming to NYC

From left: Matt Daus; Anton Fredriksson, Head of Ports, Waterfront & Transportation, NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC); Joyce Abou Moussa, Deputy Director of Innovation and Business, Groupe ADP; and Robbie Ladov, General Manager of U.S. Heliports & Vertiports, Skyports

Matt Daus, Founder and Chair of the Transportation Practice Group at Windels Marx, wrote a column for amNY Law examining the policy and regulatory future of urban air mobility in New York City. Read an excerpt below: