The Trump administration stated Tuesday that it isn’t backing off its newest deadline for New York to finish its $9 congestion toll on drivers coming into probably the most traffic-snarled elements of Manhattan, regardless of a latest courtroom submitting that indicated the cost would stay at the very least by way of the summer season.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who known as the toll a “slap within the face to working class People and small enterprise house owners,” initially advised the state to finish the tolling program by March 21. When state officers refused, federal authorities set a brand new deadline of April 20. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had stated the state supposed to disregard that deadline, too.
The dispute headed to federal courtroom in Manhattan, the place the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) sued Duffy over his February choice to rescind the toll’s federal approval. Congestion pricing advocates say it’s meant to discourage drivers and relieve site visitors backups whereas offering billions of {dollars} for the town’s transit system.
Attorneys for the 2 sides lately reached an settlement that appeared to gradual issues down. They proposed a briefing schedule that enables for courtroom filings by way of the tip of July and probably into October, whereas authorities legal professionals indicated they would not search an injunction to cease the tolls whereas the lawsuit proceeds, in line with a joint letter dated Friday and signed by an MTA lawyer to the choose within the case.
However the U.S. Division of Transportation stated Tuesday that it wasn’t backing off from its speedy calls for to finish the tolling. In a put up on the social platform X, the company stated the April 20 deadline stands.
“This is a complete lie by the elitist New York liberal media, whose rich buddies love the idea of pricing poor people out of the city,” the put up stated. “The truth is simple agreements on judicial timelines have no bearing on the underlying merits of our case or our position.”
It added, “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.”
Duffy beforehand recommended that federal funding for New York could possibly be in danger if it did not finish the toll.
The U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Manhattan, which represents Duffy within the lawsuit, declined to remark.
The MTA additionally declined to remark, saying Friday’s letter speaks for itself.
The charge began Jan. 5 on most drivers coming into Manhattan neighborhoods south of Central Park. It comes on prime of tolls drivers already pay to cross bridges and tunnels into Manhattan.
President Donald Trump, whose namesake Trump Tower and different properties are throughout the congestion zone, vowed to kill the plan as quickly as he took workplace.
