President Trump has formulated a plan to force New York to “kill” congestion pricing in Manhattan through the federal Department of Transportation, he told The Post in an exclusive interview.
Among potential penalties available to the agency are withholding millions of dollars in funding and reopening the environmental review process that authorized the toll under the Biden administration.
Trump also vowed to rid Big Apple streets of bike lanes and criminal migrants, the president told The Post in an exclusive interview.
He is hopeful that his “respect” for Gov. Hochul in their ongoing discussions will result in a mutually beneficial deal on the unpopular toll.
“Out of respect” for the governor, Trump refused to divulge details of at least two phone conversations the pair have had about ending the unpopular $9 tax on vehicles entering Manhattan during peak hours south of 60th Street, known as the Congestion Relief Zone.
Trump believes he and Hochul can still make a deal over ending the levy, which he slammed as “destructive to New York.”
“I think it’s really horrible, but I want to discuss it with her at this point,” he said. “If I decide to do it, I will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation.
“It’s a lot of power.”
At risk is part of the $36 billion in five-year federal transportation funding to New York state that extends to the end of 2026. Other federal grants might also be affected if Trump pounces on what New Yorkers are calling the congestion con.
The toll went into effect last month and the program’s revenues are ticketed for public transit infrastructure and arrest the decline in subway ridership by forcing people out of their cars.
But Trump says it’s only hurting business in his hometown.
“Traffic is way down because people can’t come into Manhattan and it’s only going to get worse,” he said. “People don’t know about it until they get the bill.”
Trump argued that New York “should focus on safety and cleanliness in the subway,” citing cases of straphangers being pushed onto the tracks by “thugs.”
“Cleanliness and efficiency are good but they gotta get tough on the thugs. They can’t be nice.”
Hochul has boasted that congestion pricing has reduced traffic, as intended. But Trump says that is not a positive sign:
“That’s because no one’s coming to the city.”
Trump also revealed to The Post that he wants to use his power to remove one of the biggest contributing factors to traffic congestion in the first place — bike lanes.
“They should get rid of the bike lanes and the sidewalks in the middle of the street,” he said. “They’re so bad. They’re dangerous. These [electric] bikes go at 20 miles an hour. They’re whacking people.”
As bike lanes multiply in NYC, pedestrian injuries have climbed steadily in the last five years. E-bikes and mopeds especially have made the city dangerous for pedestrians, according to the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance, which is pushing for legislation to require the electronic bikes and scooters be registered and insured.
Priscilla’s Law is named after Priscilla Loke, who was killed by an e-bike in Chinatown in 2023.
Trump also warned that New York is next in the crosshairs of his Justice Department over “sanctuary city” laws which obstruct his drive to deport criminal illegal aliens.
“We’ll have to” sue New York, he said.
“That’s a great thing to be suing over, anywhere where they have sanctuary cities. … New York doesn’t really want them. I don’t think anyone wants it. I think the only one who wants it are corrupt politicians.
“I don’t think the people want sanctuary cities. Why would they want to protect criminals?”
The DOJ last week filed a lawsuit against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, accusing them of interfering with federal immigration enforcement. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said “sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals.”
