Hochul, MTA set to blow off Trump April 20 deadline to kill congestion tolls
Governor Kathy Hochul is once again defying federal deadlines in order to keep the $9 congestion toll in Manhattan alive. The toll, which was implemented on January 5th to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, has been a source of controversy since its inception. Despite the White House threatening to block the tolls, both the city and state Departments of Transportation have joined a lawsuit filed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to keep the tolls in place.
The latest legal developments come as the US Department of Transportation set a deadline for New York to halt the tolls by Sunday. However, both the Governor’s Office and the MTA have stated that there are no plans to shut down the toll cameras. The US DOT has insisted that the deadline will be enforced, despite a previous agreement reached in court to keep the tolls operational until the fall.
Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits seeking to block the tolls, has accused the Hochul administration of violating federal law by implementing congestion pricing without completing a full environmental study. She believes that the Trump administration should consider withholding federal funds for projects within Manhattan’s congestion zone if the toll cameras are not shut down.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has been involved in a legal battle over corruption charges, has not publicly commented on his administration’s support of the congestion tolls. Critics speculate that Adams is trying to align himself with the Trump administration in hopes of receiving a presidential pardon.
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, the presumptive Republican nominee in the upcoming mayoral race, believes that the MTA should focus on cracking down on subway fare evaders rather than imposing unfair taxes. He argues that the MTA’s resources should be directed towards collecting fares rather than implementing congestion pricing.
The ongoing legal battle over the congestion tolls in Manhattan highlights the tension between state and federal authorities, as well as the broader debate over transportation policy and funding. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and what implications it may have for New Yorkers and visitors to the city.
