The Trump administration is taking another swing in its attempt to halt New York City’s congestion pricing program.
On Friday, May 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation filed an appeal to a previous court decision that allowed the program to continue.
President Donald Trump previously referred to the program as a “disaster” and vowed to shut it down when he took office in 2025. In February 2025, Duffy sent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul a letter informing her that the Federal Highway Administration was revoking its approval of congestion pricing. New York had one month to end the program.
That prompted Hochul to sue the Trump administration, sparking a public dispute between the two. Duffy’s deadline to end congestion pricing was extended twice. He also included threats to withhold federal funding.
In March, a federal judge ruled in favor of New York. As part of the ruling, Judge Lewis J. Liman, of the Southern District of New York, struck down the argument that the Value Pricing Pilot Program did not authorize New York to start congestion pricing.
Although the congestion pricing program includes passenger vehicles, it is especially problematic for the trucking industry. While passenger vehicles are charged $9 per day, trucks are charged up to $21.60 each time they enter the zone.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports efforts to end the congestion pricing program.
“(Truckers) routinely have no other choice than to drive through metropolitan areas during periods of high congestion because of the rigidity of current federal hours-of-service requirements,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in 2025. “Additionally, shippers and receivers generally have little regard for a driver’s schedule, frequently requiring loading and unloading to occur at times when nearby roads are most congested. New York City’s congestion pricing plan was anti-trucker to begin with, and we will continue fighting to ensure it doesn’t come back. Beyond New York City, we encourage the Trump administration and Congress to fight the expansion of tolling across the country.”
Congestion pricing isn’t the only issue that has led New York and the DOT to face off in court.
In late April, Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that they were suing over DOT’s decision to withhold tens of millions of dollars in highway funding over its handling of non-domiciled CDLs. The state’s leaders argue that its CDLs were issued in full compliance with federal regulations and that the decision to withhold funding is “illegal and puts New Yorkers at risk.”
Saying that New York failed to revoke “illegally issued” non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits, the U.S. DOT announced on April 16 that it was withholding about $73 million from the state. LL
Land Line’s Tyson Fisher contributed to this report.
Credit: Source link
