NY Judge Rules Trump Admin Can't Halt Congestion Pricing

A federal judge in New York ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration lacked the authority to halt the city's congestion pricing program, preserving the initiative that charges drivers a fee to enter central Manhattan and funds improvements to the region's public transit system.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued the decision in favor of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which sued the U.S. Department of Transportation after Secretary Sean Duffy rescinded federal approval for the program in February 2025. The toll, which took effect on January 5, 2025, imposes about $9 on most vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours, varying by vehicle type and time of day. Liman described Duffy's action as arbitrary and capricious, noting in a 149-page ruling that the Department of Transportation failed to provide adequate reasoning for reversing an approval originally granted under former President Joe Biden. "The democratic process worked," Liman wrote, referring to the program's passage through New York's legislature and signing by the governor.

The ruling restores the program's status prior to Duffy's decision and blocks any related threats to...