DC Releases Congestion Pricing Report, But No Plans to Implement

Bowser administration finds congestion pricing could raise up to $345 million annually, but says report is flawed

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Bowser administration in Washington, D.C. has released a long-awaited report on congestion pricing, which found that charging drivers up to $10 per day or $0.60 per minute to drive downtown could raise as much as $345 million per year. However, Mayor Bowser has called the report flawed and has no plans to implement congestion pricing in her final year in office, citing outdated pre-pandemic commuter data used in the analysis. The report will now be sent to the D.C. Council, where councilmembers could potentially take action, though any measure would require congressional approval.

Why it matters

Congestion pricing has been implemented in cities like New York to help reduce traffic and raise funds for transportation infrastructure. While the Bowser administration's report suggests congestion pricing could be lucrative for D.C., the mayor's criticism of the report's methodology raises questions about whether the city will move forward with such a plan, which would significantly impact commuters and businesses.

The details

The report, completed by a private firm in 2021 but not made public until now, outlines two potential congestion pricing models for D.C. One would charge drivers up to $10 per day to enter a designated downtown zone, while another would charge $0.60 per minute while driving. The report concluded that these options would reduce congestion, but Mayor Bowser has criticized the report for relying on outdated pre-pandemic commuter data.

  • The report was completed by a private firm in 2021.
  • The report was released by the Bowser administration on March 10, 2026.

The players

Muriel Bowser

The mayor of Washington, D.C. who has criticized the congestion pricing report as flawed and has no plans to implement such a plan in her final year in office.

D.C. Council

The city council that could potentially take action on the congestion pricing report, though any measure would require congressional approval.

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What they’re saying

“Bowser has no plans to implement the plan in her final year in office. She called the report flawed, primarily because it bases many of its assumptions on pre-pandemic commuter data.”

— Muriel Bowser, Mayor (nbcwashington.com)

What’s next

The congestion pricing report will be sent to the D.C. Council, where councilmembers could potentially take action on the findings, though any measure would require congressional approval.

The takeaway

While the Bowser administration's report suggests congestion pricing could be a lucrative option for D.C., the mayor's criticism of the report's methodology raises doubts about whether the city will move forward with such a plan. The report's fate now rests with the D.C. Council, but any potential congestion pricing program would face additional hurdles in needing congressional approval.