Judge halts Trump administration attempt to block Manhattan congestion toll
A federal judge has temporarily preserved New York City’s congestion pricing plan, rebuffing efforts by the Trump administration to shut it down ahead of a broader legal battle.
Stefanos Chen, Winnie Hu, and Wesley Parnell report for The New York Times.
In short:
- U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman granted a temporary restraining order stopping the Trump administration from cutting transportation funding over New York’s tolling plan, keeping the congestion charge in place through June 9.
- The M.T.A. argued that revoking the program would threaten $15 billion in funding for transit upgrades, while the Department of Transportation claimed the toll unfairly penalized drivers and misused federal road funds.
- Legal challenges continue, but the judge signaled that the M.T.A. showed strong legal footing and that New York would suffer “irreparable harm” if the program were paused.
Key quote:
“If I were a lawyer at the M.T.A., I’d be feeling very good about my chances on final judgment.”
— Michael Pollack, professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Why this matters:
Congestion pricing is a tool that cities around the world — from London to Singapore — use to cut traffic, reduce pollution, and fund public transit. New York’s plan, the first of its kind in the U.S., aims to do all three by charging drivers who enter Manhattan’s central business district during peak hours. The logic is straightforward: Fewer cars means faster commutes, better air, and more money for trains and buses. But the policy faces stiff political headwinds, especially from car-centric interests and officials who see it as an unfair burden on suburban and working-class drivers. The battle now playing out in court could shape not just the future of New York’s streets but the broader national debate over how we fund and manage urban infrastructure in a warming world.
