Federal Judge Rejects Trump Administration Effort To Halt New York’s Congestion Charge

A federal judge has ruled against the Trump Administration’s effort to block New York City’s congestion pricing program.Last year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the federal government was rescinding its approval of the congestion pricing program, which charges drivers entering Manhattan during peak periods a $9 toll.The federal government was required to approve the program because it involved highways built under the Federal-Aid Highways Act. Mr. Duffy threatened to withhold funding for highway and other transit projects if the program was not canceled. President Trump said the program was “DEAD.” On Tuesday, however, a federal judge, Lewis Liman, a Trump appointee, ruled against the federal government’s efforts to kill the program, finding that it was an arbitrary decision process. Judge Liman said in a 149-page decision that the “Defendants’ termination of the [federal authorization] was unlawful, and that any attempt to enforce” the cancellation of the toll “would be unlawful.”He said the program was the “product of a democratic process” and could not be arbitrarily revoked. Despite upholding congestion pricing, Judge Liman said that Mr. Trump is “free to continue to make public statements as well as to ask the Secretary of Transportation to look into whether there are lawful means to end” the toll. After the ruling, New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said, “The judge’s decision is clear: Donald Trump’s unlawful attempts to trample on the self-governance of his home state have failed spectacularly. Congestion pricing is legal, it works, and it is here to stay. The cameras are staying on.”Meanwhile, the CEO of the MTA, Janno Lieber, said, “Traffic is down, business is up, and we’re making crucial investments in a transit system that moves millions of people a day. Today, once again, Secretary Duffy failed, and New York is winning.”A Transportation Department spokesman told the Sun, “We disagree with the court’s ruling. Once again, working-class Americans are being sidelined under Governor Kathy Hochul’s policies, which impose a massive tax on every New Yorker.”“These Green New Scam policies have made federally funded roads inaccessible to commuters without providing a toll-free alternative. We are reviewing all legal options — including an appeal — with the Justice Department. The Trump Administration will not stop fighting to make everyday life more affordable for American families,” the spokesman added. New York officials say congestion pricing raised $468 million in its first year and was responsible for an 11 percent drop in traffic during peak hours, a 6.1 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in the area impacted by the toll, and a 4.6 percent increase in vehicle speeds. A Siena College poll from March 2025 found that 42 percent of New York City residents said they wanted the toll to stay in place. But 40 percent of people polled who live outside of New York City said they want the toll to be canceled.

Federal Judge Rejects Trump Administration Effort To Halt New York’s Congestion Charge

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