In a significant legal development, New York City has won a temporary reprieve in its ongoing battle against the Trump administration regarding the controversial congestion pricing program.
United States District Judge Lewis Liman granted a temporary restraining order allowing the program to continue operating until at least June 9, while state officials and the federal government clash over its future.
The administration had threatened to withhold federal funding from New York state unless the congestion pricing initiative was halted, which raised concerns about the potential freezing of contracts for vital highway and transit projects.
Despite these threats, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)—New York City’s mass transit system—persuaded the judge that the congestion pricing plan has a solid chance of success in court.
According to the judge, the program had already gone through extensive reviews by various government agencies at the state, local, and federal levels, which contributed to the ruling in favor of continuing it.
Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for the Riders Alliance, a transportation advocacy group, praised the decision, stating that “congestion relief is perfectly legal and thoroughly vetted.”
Pearlstein emphasized that opponents of the program have exhausted their arguments against it, and the increasingly unfounded theories opposing congestion pricing are no longer holding weight in court.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated the judge’s ruling as a “massive victory” for commuters in New York.
In her statement, she noted, “So here’s the deal: Secretary Duffy can issue as many letters and social media posts as he wants, but a court has blocked the Trump Administration from retaliating against New York for reducing traffic and investing in transit.”
The governor reaffirmed the legality and success of the congestion pricing initiative, indicating, “We’re keeping the cameras on.”
The timing of this legal battle is particularly significant as it coincides with the program’s launch earlier this year.
Beginning in January, the congestion pricing initiative imposes tolls of $9 per day during peak hours for drivers in certain areas of Manhattan, aimed at mitigating congestion in one of the most crowded cities in the nation while generating funds for its mass transit system.
Since its implementation, the program has yielded measurable results: subway ridership has increased by six percent, bus ridership by nine percent, and overall traffic has decreased by eleven percent within just a month after its launch.
Furthermore, the MTA has projected that congestion pricing could generate $500 million in revenue for transit system improvements, which includes upgrades to various stations and investment in zero-emissions buses.
A Siena College poll conducted around the same time revealed public sentiment about the program, with 42 percent of New Yorkers supportive of it while 35 percent opposed.
As the legal proceedings unfold, neither the MTA nor the US Department of Transportation provided immediate comments on this ruling.
Transportation advocacy group member Alexa Sledge expressed frustration over the circumstance, stating, “It’s really upsetting that it came to this point to begin with.
We should not be in a position where the federal government is trying to stop New York state from enacting its own policy and trying to blackmail New York state when it doesn’t follow their lead.”
She further noted that New York state deserves the autonomy to create its own laws and manage its roads, expressing hope that this legal situation could come to a resolution.
image source from：https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/5/27/us-judge-temporarily-bars-trump-admin-from-ending-nyc-congestion-pricing
