Summary
Trump revoked federal approval for New York City’s congestion pricing plan, which aimed to reduce traffic and fund public transit.
Trump celebrated on social media, declaring, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD… LONG LIVE THE KING!” In response, Governor Kathy Hochul stated, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” and confirmed the MTA is pursuing legal action.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy claimed the tolls harmed working-class Americans. The $9 fee had improved traffic flow, but enforcement will now be halted.
This is the full letter sent by Duffy. Basically since federal money was used to build the roads, they can’t be tolled without federal approval.
The Trump administration is arguing that the tolls are mainly there to benefit the MTA, and there wasn’t a need to controlling congestion, even though that’s what’s happening. Anyone who says there isn’t a need to control congestion has never driven in lower manhattan without a motorcade.
If it was an act of Congress that created the exception for congestion pricing, then can’t New York just tell trump to “pound sand”? As in “come back when Congress has rejected congestion pricing”.
From what I read they filed a lawsuit within the hour of receiving the letter and will continue to collect tolls until a judge tells them not to.
Very glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing that info.
Sort of a tangential example to how this kind of law works
Interstate highways (the ones that start with an I in front of the number) receive federal funding for upkeep.
As part of that, they generally can’t be toll roads, and rest stops can’t be commercialized- so no stores, restaurants, or gas stations (the idea being that the highways are supposed to be for everyone to use and rest stops shouldn’t be competing with local businesses)
There are exceptions for cases like the PA turnpike (I76) which was originally built before the interstate highway act and then later integrated into the interstate system. So they’re grandfathered in so they have tolls and commercialized rest stops because they already had them. (The tolls were also supposed to be temporary until the construction was paid off but that’s neither here nor there)
All those toll roads everywhere are exceptions? It seems like you’d have an additional argument against capricious enforcement. Either say federally funded roads can’t have tolls or don’t - it shouldn’t be valid to enforce only the specific cases where you have a personal interest
Presumably not all roads were built with federal funds, can’t they just block off those ones and continue congestion pricing for the remainder?
Although they’d need to get a mayor who can’t be blackmailed first.