Congestion pricing remained in impact Wednesday, in defiance of one other deadline from Trump’s Division of Transportation and ongoing federal threats to defund New York Metropolis space transit and transportation initiatives ought to New York not stroll stroll again the toll.
Wednesday was the newest of three deadlines laid out by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has demanded that New York cease tolling drivers who enter Midtown and decrease Manhattan — a toll required so as to fund MTA capital initiatives beneath a 2019 state regulation.
The MTA is at the moment litigating the matter in Manhattan Federal Courtroom, the place transit officers have argued that the federal calls for to vary state coverage are unconstitutional.
A supply near Gov. Hochul Wednesday stated the governor would quickly be informing the feds that, absent a court docket order on the contrary, the toll would stay in place.
The brinksmanship — with Hochul repeatedly saying the toll will keep as Duffy repeatedly threatens the Empire State’s funding — has marked a three-month showdown between state and federal energy over whether or not the state of New York can implement it’s personal democratically determined transportation insurance policies.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul takes questions from the media throughout a press convention on congestion pricing tolls for Manhattan’s Central Enterprise District final 12 months. (Barry Williams / New York Every day Information)
Final month — when his second deadline expired — Duffy stated he was “giving New York one last chance to turn back or prove their actions are not illegal,” setting a deadline for Wednesday.
Previous that, he stated, his division wouldn’t authorize federal funds for any freeway mission in Manhattan, would refuse to approve Manhattan initiatives beneath the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act, and would refuse to greenlight any funding amendments from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council — until any of these initiatives contain security.
Ought to New York’s “noncompliance” proceed, he went on, he’ll defund initiatives citywide.
The MTA will get roughly $2.5 billion in federal {dollars} every year, virtually solely as reimbursements by federal system grants, although Duffy’s April menace indicated different companies — resembling town and state departments of transportation — may lose funding as effectively.
Earlier deadlines have been accompanied by an eleventh-hour extension and an admonishment from Duffy that there could be penalties for New York ought to it hold the toll in place. No such statements had been made as of Wednesday afternoon, neither by Duffy nor USDOT’s press workforce. A USDOT spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pictured in Brooklyn on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Every day Information)
Duffy first claimed to have the ability to finish the toll by revoking an already-granted federal authorization in February, weeks after New York started tolling drivers in an implementation of the state’s 2019 Site visitors Mobility Act, which required the toll as a way of funding a particular checklist of MTA transit initiatives.
The MTA promptly sued, calling the revocation unconstitutional.
In response, Duffy set a March 21 deadline for ending the toll earlier than extending the deadline to April 20, then to Might 21.
