On Tuesday, May 27th, a federal judge temporarily blocked the federal government’s plan to cancel congestion pricing in Manhattan and ensured that this controversial plan will remain in effect until early next month.
US District Judge Liman issued the restraining order, prohibiting the Department of Transportation from imposing fines or penalties on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) regarding congestion fees until the court dispute is resolved.
The day before this ruling was issued, Transportation Secretary Duffy threatened that if toll booths were not removed, the government might stop providing federal funding and approvals for projects in New York.
As of May 20th, MTA has ignored the federal “deadline” for the third time.
The temporary restraining order by the judge was reached earlier on Tuesday and will be effective until June 9th.
“We have won again,” Governor Hochul said in a statement issued after the ruling.
“Judge Liman’s temporary restraining order is a huge victory for New York commuters, proving that as a state, we have the right to determine what is most beneficial for our streets,” the Governor said. “New Yorkers have the right to control their own traffic patterns, avoid congestion on the streets, and protect our clean air; necessary large-scale investments are needed to support our transportation system and prevent it from falling into chaos and disrepair, congestion pricing is the right solution to achieve this goal.”
The Governor continued, saying, “Secretary Duffy can issue letters and social media posts freely, but the court prohibits the Trump administration from retaliating against New York for reducing traffic and investing in transportation. Congestion pricing is legal, effective, and we will continue to install cameras.”
Since Duffy first declared congestion pricing “void” on February 19th, MTA and the federal government have been in constant legal disputes.
This led MTA and the New York State Department of Transportation to sue the federal government, arguing that the government cannot unilaterally terminate the plan.
Judge Liman stated in the ruling that without approving the temporary order, New York State “would suffer irreparable harm.”
MTA Chairman Lieber swiftly welcomed the latest ruling. He stated that the judge clearly disagreed with the federal government’s attempt to “force New York State and MTA to abandon congestion pricing.”
Lieber told reporters outside the court, “This is good news for New Yorkers benefiting from congestion pricing, as we aim to quickly reach a final resolution.”
The decision on May 27th came after US Transportation Secretary Duffy set a deadline of May 21st, requiring the state-operated MTA to stop toll collection, or else face a shortage of transportation funding, which is financial support that all states need from the federal government.