New tolls cut traffic by 82,000 cars a day as New York fights federal order to stop congestion pricing

New York City’s toll program reduced traffic below 60th Street by 13% in March, even as federal officials push to shut it down.

Stephen Nessen reports for Gothamist.

In short:

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) says congestion pricing has kept about 82,000 vehicles out of Manhattan daily in March, compared to traffic levels if the program hadn't started.
The toll revenue, expected to reach $500 million this year, is legally dedicated to funding $15 billion in mass transit improvements.
The Trump administration has ordered the MTA to halt the program by April 20 and threatened to withhold unspecified federal funding; the MTA is suing to stop the shutdown.

Key quote:

“The good news is that the data reflects what New Yorkers are seeing every day: congestion pricing is working as intended and should remain on, even in the face of misguided threats from the Federal Government.”

— Brian Fritsch, associate director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA

Why this matters:

Vehicle congestion affects more than travel times. It worsens air quality, raises asthma rates, and drives up noise pollution. In dense urban areas like Manhattan, car traffic clogs emergency vehicle routes and slows buses, disproportionately hurting people who rely on public transit — including many low-income New Yorkers. Congestion pricing aims to change that by discouraging unnecessary car trips and funding transit upgrades. But the program faces political resistance from those who frame it as a burden on drivers, even though most working-class residents don’t drive into Manhattan. If federal intervention succeeds, New York could lose billions in planned transit improvements. The debate signals a growing divide in how cities and federal authorities prioritize mobility, climate, and public health — and whether urban centers will get the tools they need to adapt.

gothamist.com

New tolls cut traffic by 82,000 cars a day as New York fights federal order to stop congestion pricing

From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers

Who’s ready to think about blocking out the sun?

From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers

Interior skips NEPA analysis for offshore drilling expansion

How extreme heat is driving kidney failure in migrant workers

Members of America’s largest power grid can’t agree on how to power data centers

Africa's solar power revolution driven by China's investment

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.