All of a sudden, it looks like New York City’s congestion pricing may not be going away after all…
That’s because with just a day left before the Trump administration’s March 21 deadline for New York to scrap its congestion pricing toll, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a 30-day extension on Thursday, according to Yahoo Finance.
Though he reiterated the demand for Gov. Kathy Hochul to end the $9 daily fee for most drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street, Duffy cited ongoing talks as reason for the delay.
Duffy said on X: “The federal government and @POTUS are putting New York on notice. Your refusal to end cordon pricing and your open disrespect towards the federal government is unacceptable.”
“We will provide New York with a 30-day extension as discussions continue. Know that the billions of dollars the federal government sends to New York are not a blank check. Continued noncompliance will not be taken lightly,” he added.
Rep. Jerry Nadler responded on Thursday: “Let me be clear, these attacks on congestion pricing are an attack on New York’s sovereignty. New York has the right to govern itself, to implement policies that improve the lives of its residents, and to make decisions that benefit our infrastructure and our economy.”
The Yahoo Finance article says that MTA CEO Janno Lieber has said the toll will stay unless a judge says otherwise.
Meant to ease traffic and fund MTA projects, the $9 fee was approved last year and began in January.
In February, Duffy claimed to revoke a key federal approval—granted under his predecessor—sparking Trump to call himself “king” online. The MTA sued, calling Duffy’s move unconstitutional; the Trump administration hasn’t responded in court.
This isn’t the first time the feds have threatened transit funds. In a recent letter, Duffy demanded crime stats—most already public—and warned of “redirecting or withholding funding” if unmet by March 31.
MTA says it’s happy to help find the data.
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