Despite reaching an agreement with New York transportation officials in ongoing litigation, the federal government repeated its threat to end congestion pricing outside the courtroom later this month.
In a social media post on Tuesday, April 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation reiterated its plan to end congestion pricing in New York City by April 20. The department clarified its position following multiple reports indicating that an agreement might allow the tolling program to continue at least through October.
This is a complete lie by the elitist New York liberal media, whose rich buddies love the idea of pricing poor people out of the city.
The truth is simple agreements on judicial timelines have no bearing on the underlying merits of our case or our position.
Here are the… https://t.co/xq45hLPp9d
— USDOT Rapid Response (@USDOTRapid) April 8, 2025
Confusion over the deadline stems from a joint letter to the court in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority federal lawsuit against Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Sent on Friday, April 4, the letter informed Judge Lewis Liman that all parties have reached an agreement on a case management schedule concluding in late October.
In the letter, both the federal government and New York transportation officials agreed that the case should be resolved through a court order. When the MTA asked the federal government whether it plans to take “any unilateral action on or after April 20” to end congestion pricing, the government stated only that it does not intend to seek preliminary injunctive relief to pause the program while the case plays out.
Numerous media reports interpreted this to mean congestion pricing would stay intact while the legal process plays out. However, a DOT spokesperson quickly rejected that idea.
Although the joint letter to the court suggests that the federal government may not try to stop congestion pricing through a court injunction, the DOT was silent on what it may or may not do outside the courtroom. In the social media post, the DOT made it clear it intends to take the unilateral action the MTA asked about in the letter.
“USDOT’s deadline for stopping toll collection has not changed,” a DOT spokesperson stated on social media. “Make no mistake – the Trump Administration and USDOT will not hesitate to use every tool at our disposal in response to non-compliance later this month.”
How the DOT plans to end congestion pricing is unclear. During a court hearing on Wednesday, April 9, attorneys for the federal government said there has been no final decision regarding what to do about noncompliance on or after April 20.
The MTA has suggested that President Donald Trump’s administration could withhold federal funds from New York if it does not comply with the April 20 deadline. Plaintiffs in the case said they will fight any retaliation inside the courtroom.
“Plaintiffs the MTA, (Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority) and (New York State Department of Transportation) will act swiftly to assert their rights should the federal government improperly withhold funds or otherwise illegally retaliate against them for commencing this litigation,” the joint letter states.
The showdown between New York and the federal government began on Feb. 19, when U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Hochul that the Federal Highway Administration had revoked its approval of the congestion pricing program.
Duffy claimed that the federal program under which the tolling scheme falls does not allow “cordon pricing.”
The MTA filed a lawsuit against Duffy the same day, challenging his interpretation of the law. The next day, FHWA told New York state and local transportation officials they had until March 21 to end congestion pricing. However, Hochul and MTA CEO Janno Lieber said they have no plans to turn off the cameras.
Just one day before the March 21 deadline, FHWA informed New York transportation officials that the deadline had been extended by one month. Congestion pricing was ordered to end on April 20. LL
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