President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s steep congestion toll in New York City “is DEAD.”
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy wrote a letter to Hochul on Wednesday, informing the governor that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is terminating approval for the congestion pricing plan, the New York Post reported. The Department of Transportation initially approved the pilot program in November.
“New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners,” Duffy wrote, adding that the plan is “backwards and unfair.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump added, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The toll, which went into effect in January, charges drivers of passenger vehicles $9 to enter Midtown Manhattan south of 60th Street every weekday between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. and each weekend day between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Outside of those hours, drivers are charged $3.75. In his letter to Hochul, Duffy added that the program “exceeds the authority authorized by Congress” as federal law prohibits tolls on roads built with federal funds unless Congress specifically granted an exception.
“Every American should be able to access New York City regardless of their economic means. It shouldn’t be reserved for an elite few,” the letter stated.
Another reason cited by Duffy for terminating the plan is that it “appear[s] to be driven primarily by the need to raise revenue for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) system as opposed to the need to reduce congestion.”
Hochul responded to the Trump administration’s decision, writing that the MTA will be challenging the move in court.
“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,” Hochul wrote. “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 governor added, in direct response to Trump’s social media post. “The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We’ll see you in court.”
