Trump Administration Sticks to Deadline for New York’s Congestion Pricing

NEW YORK CITY — The Trump administration reaffirmed its deadline on Tuesday for New York to eliminate its $9 congestion toll for drivers entering Manhattan‘s most traffic-heavy areas. This announcement comes despite a recent court filing indicating that the fee would remain in place at least through the summer.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the toll a “slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners.” Initially, Duffy set a deadline of March 21 for the state to end the toll program. After state officials resisted, a new deadline of April 20 was established.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed intentions to disregard this deadline as well, leading to a legal standoff. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has filed a lawsuit against Duffy over his February decision to revoke federal approval for the toll.

Supporters of congestion pricing argue that the fee is designed to reduce traffic congestion and generate funds for the city’s transit system. Early data has suggested that the toll is achieving its goals: average commute times through the Lincoln and Holland tunnels have dropped by significant percentages since its implementation on January 5.

According to reports, average trip times through the Lincoln Tunnel decreased by 17% and by 48% through the Holland Tunnel. Commuters from Queens and Long Island are saving approximately 13 minutes on average, while Brooklyn and Staten Island drivers have seen reductions of about seven minutes.

On Friday, lawyers for both parties in the ongoing dispute reached a temporary agreement that may delay judicial proceedings. The proposed briefing schedule allows for court filings through July and possibly continuing into October. However, federal authorities clarified that they will not retract their demand for toll elimination and stated that the April 20 deadline remains intact in a post shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

In the post, the U.S. Department of Transportation rejected claims of cooperation with the MTA, asserting that any agreements regarding court timelines do not influence the fundamental merits of their legal position. “Make no mistake — the Trump administration and USDOT will not hesitate to use every tool at our disposal in response to non-compliance later this month,” the post asserted.

Duffy has previously suggested that failing to end the toll could jeopardize federal funding intended for New York. Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, representing Duffy in this case, declined to comment, as did the MTA, stating that Friday’s correspondence speaks for itself.

During his campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to eliminate the congestion pricing plan, labeling it a regressive tax on New Yorkers. As the dispute continues, advocates and opponents of the congestion fee remain divided on its implications for the city and its inhabitants.

A spokesperson for Governor Hochul highlighted the early data supporting congestion pricing’s effectiveness, expressing optimism about ongoing traffic management efforts: “Since congestion pricing took effect three months ago, traffic is down and business is up – and that’s the kind of progress we’re going to keep delivering for New Yorkers.”