Gov. Hochul, MTA vow to fight President Trump over congestion pricing
NEW YORK (PIX11) – The MTA is suing the Trump administration after it announced plans to scrap New York City’s congestion pricing toll on Wednesday.
A letter sent from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to Gov. Kathy Hochul called the toll, “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners,” and declared that the federal government plans to defund the program. The official White House Instagram page also posted an image of President Donald Trump in a crown, with the caption reading, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
Hochul fired back during a press conference on Wednesday, saying the MTA was prepared. The agency immediately filed a lawsuit after receiving the letter.
“We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” Hochul said in a statement. “We’ll see you in court.”
The MTA previously reported that one million fewer vehicles entered the city’s Central Business District in the first month of tolling, which officially began on Jan. 5. A traffic camera network charges most drivers $9 to travel south of Manhattan’s 60th Street during peak hours.
Congestion pricing was expected to raise $15 billion for systemwide transit improvements, from funding overdue repairs, to new elevators, to extending the Second Avenue subway into Harlem.
The toll will remain in place as the MTA’s lawsuit plays out in court, the agency said. That means drivers are still required to pay whenever they enter the Central Business District.
“We are seeking a declaratory judgment making clear that the congestion pricing program is fully authorized. Obviously that will take some time, but until a judge rules, these cameras are staying on, and we expect the judge to rule in our favor,” said Brian Mahanna, legal counsel to Hochul.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.