NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has quickly filed a lawsuit today in an effort to block federal government revocation of its permission for Manhattan’s congestion tolling program.
The move, announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, makes good on a campaign promise of President Donald Trump, who last year said he would end congestion pricing during his first week in office.
Duffy notified New York Gov. Kathy Hochul of the revocation in a letter today. Duffy’s letter notes that Congress created an exception to the general prohibition on tolls on federally funded roads in 1991, but says he has concluded the New York program does not qualify under that option because it does not allow a toll-free option, and because the program “appears to driven primarily by the need to raise revenue” for the MTA rather than to reduce congestion. Duffy did not immediately end the toll program or set a date to do so, saying the Federal Highway Administration would contact New York’s Department of Transportation “to discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations.”
Duffy was far more blunt in a press release, calling the program “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners,” “backwards and unfair,” and that it “impedes the flow of commerce into New York by increasing tolls for trucks, which in turn could make goods more expensive for consumers.”
Trump, in a social media post, wrote, “Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan, and all of New York is saved. Long live the king!’” That drew a sharp response in a statement from Hochul, who cited the program’s benefits and said, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We’ll see you in court.”
She later addressed the situation in a webcast, saying “The commuters of our city and our region are now the roadkill on Donald Trump’s revenge tour against New York.”
MTA CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement that the agency’s filing is to “ensure that the highly successful program … will continue not withstanding this baseless effort to snatch [its] benefits away from the millions of mass transit users, pedestrians, and especially, the drivers who come to the Manhattan Central Business District.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who led a legal effort to block the New York plan and wrote Trump on his first day in office asking that it be killed, issued a statement thanking Trump and Duffy.
“While I have consistently expressed openness to a form of congestion pricing that meaningfully protects the environment and does not unfairly burden hardworking New Jersey commuters,” Murphy said, “the current program lines the MTA’s pockets at the expense of New Jerseyans.”
Hochul, in her webcast, noted Duffy had cited New Jersey’s opposition in his letter, and took exception to that fact: “Ignoring the will of the people who live here, their elected leaders in Albany, all of a sudden, the Trump Administration is citing, ‘New Jersey isn’t happy.’”
Congestion pricing was originally set to debut in June 2024, but was delayed by Hochul, who cited concerns over the cost. It was eventually revived in November with lower toll rates, and launched Jan. 5 following approval by the Federal Highway Administration [see “New York congestion pricing plan gets federal approval,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 23, 2024]. At the time, New York officials indicated they believed it would be more difficult to kill the program if it was already in place.
The program provides funding for MTA capital programs. The agency has released statistics from its early weeks of operations showing that subway, commuter rail, and bus ridership has increased, while traffic and travel times have decreased in the tolling zone [see “New York rail ridership up …,” News Wire, Jan. 30, 2025].
— Updated at 5:21 p.m. CT with additional information.
“…exception to the general prohibition on tolls on federally funded roads…” Why does the Empire State need Federal funds for its roads?
Well, let’s talk about this. Suppose there is a federally aided highway somewhere in lower Manhattan, or two or three or four. There also are a lot of streets that aren’t federally aided, a couple of hundred streets or so.
I think the federal government should butt out and leave this as a local decision.
It displeases me when the fereal government sticks its nose into local government because some fraction of the local budget is from federal grants. I don’t like it when a Democrat administration does that. Trump being a president of the party I vote for doesn’t change my opinion one bit.
Quote from trump from his Truth Social website today. “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD, and all of New York is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING”
His words y’all.
In the Feb 4 article in News Wire to paraphrase the Presidents new head of Transportation said”Fed funding should not go to projects purely local in nature and unrelated to a proper Federal interest.”
So anticipating any future funding for the Second Ave Subway, ESA and other projects (Gateway is Amtrak and thus not local) New York went ahead and solicited future revenue streams to fund such projects.
It may be political but they even lowered the tolls on Congestion pricing to ease the pain
Numbers prove Congestion down, mass transit usage up (more revenue)
The Presidents son may even have a quicker commute to NYU from Trump Tower
Trump saying that he worries about the effect on tourists and businesses ?
No mention of the other issues (New Jersey, Rockland or CT or environmental issues in the outer boroughs) so who is he playing to?
The press?
He quit NY in no underlain terms denouncing residency and moving to Florida
Tourists coming to NY don’t’ drive downtown and now with less traffic get around quicker and find mass transit acceptable
Businesses can also get around quicker
Tbe few that lose on this deal are the rideshare drivers, whose inflated numbers caused a lot of the congestion.
And in the end Both sides should read the Constitution
It is always interesting to peruse the NY dailies: NYT, WSJ, Daily News, Newsday, NY Post…the first 2 “broadsheet” the latter tabloids. All favor cong. price.
And the guv has the mayor by the short hairs, thus obviating any trump leverage.
The fact of the matter is that cong. price. works…obvious to anyone who navigates around here. An interesting corollary action is to rephase the lites on 3rd. Ave, which is one-way northbound, reducing the timing from 25 to 15 seconds between 60th and 96th, thus giving pedestrians and cyclists more time red lite “gunners” less.
BTW: it is too late for “buyers remorse.”
I absolutely think Trump is in the wrong.
New York City invested a sizable amount in the tolling infrastructure. (And software etc.) They wouldn’t have done that without a commitment that they could effectuate the program.
I voted for Trump from president, not for dictator.
That was one of the promises he ran on, Charles, so it’s not a surprise. Recall how Gov. Hochel first “paused” the program out of political fear, then the frantic efforts by NY before the end of the Biden regime to get this done under the wire because Kamela wasn’t gonna make it. If you don’t want to follow our rules, don’t take the money. If you think there’s no federal supremacy here, read your Constitution and yes, we’ll see you in court.
Surprise. surprise, surprise. You were told so by others.
Well Charles, Donald, as his buddy Putin called him today when speaking about Ukraine, told everyone he intended to be a dictator on day one. So why the surprise? But you did know he incited an insurrection and still voted for him. It’s only going to get worse. But I’m sure the orange one and president musk appreciate that you voted for them.