New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday stated that New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has initiated legal proceedings over the Trump administration’s move to do away with congestion pricing.
"Public transit is the lifeblood of New York City and critical to our economic future — as a New Yorker, like President Trump, knows very well," Hochul said. "Since this first-in-the-nation program took effect last month, congestion has dropped dramatically and commuters are getting to work faster than ever. Broadway shows are selling out and foot traffic to local businesses is spiking. School buses are getting kids to class on time, and yellow cab trips increased by 10 percent. Transit ridership is up, drivers are having a better experience, and support for this program is growing every day."
"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."
This comes after Trump wrote on Wednesday afternoon, "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
In a letter to Hochul, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which had previously approved the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) under the Value Pricing Pilot Program, had lacked "statutory authority to approve the cordon pricing tolling under the CBDTP pilot project," and therefore Duffy was "rescinding FWHA’s approval of the CBDTP pilot project under the November 21 Agreement and terminating the Agreement." Duffy added that the FHWA would be in contact with the New York Department of Transportation authorities and the project’s sponsors "to discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations under this terminated pilot project."
"The cameras are staying on," Hochul declared. Under the program, those entering Manhattan south of and including 60th Street are charged a toll. Peak hours are between 5 am and 9 pm on weekdays and 9 am and 9 pm on weekends, with passenger cars being charged $9 per day. Under the plan, by 2031 drivers would be charged $15 per day, which was what Hochul originally wanted to charge.
