NEW YORK — The federal government’s efforts to stop New York’s congestion tolling program suffered a setback today (Tuesday, May 27) as a U.S. District Court judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing the program to continue through at least June 9.
Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the U.S. Department of Transportation could not withhold funding from the state and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority while a lawsuit over the program continues, the news site Gothamist reports. Liman also ordered the federal government to file its arguments in the case by 5 p.m. on June 9, an indication the case could be settled more quickly than previous expectations it would be heard this fall.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber said an accelerated timeline is “good news,” Gothamist reports, “… because we want to move quickly to a final resolution.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the restraining order “is a massive victory for New York commuters, vindicating our right as a state to make decisions regarding what’s best for our streets. New Yorkers deserve to control our own traffic patterns, keep gridlock off our streets, and protect our clean air. We need to make the massive investments necessary to support our transit system and prevent it from falling into disarray and disrepair. Congestion pricing is the right solution to get us there.”
The New York Times reports a Department of Transporation spokesman said the ruling was “not on the merits of our case … but rather a temporary pause to have more time to reach a decision.”
The congestion pricing program, which raises funds for MTA capital projects and is intended to encourage transit use instead of driving into lower Manhattan, received Federal Highway Administration approval under the Biden administration. But President Donald Trump had vowed to kill the program during his campaign, and in February, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the federal permission was being rescinded; the MTA immediately filed suit to block that move [see “New York MTA sues …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 19, 2025].
Duffy subsequently said the government would withhold federal highway funds unless the tolling was halted [see “Transportation secretary threatens …,” News Wire, April 21, 2025]. Today’s ruling prohibits that move, at least temporarily. A government attorney said the DOT would abide by the ruling, Gothamist reports.
Republicans tout “states rights” until they do something they don’t like then flip flop as usual!
What part of this tolling is illegal do you not understand? This judge (like so many) has clearly been corrupted.
What part of the English language does Dumpfy not understand?? Oh, he’s from Wisconsin, that state once noted as “progressive.”
And BTW I have observed congestion pricing from its start and the stats don’t lie.