The Trump administration ordered the shutdown of congestion pricing in Manhattan in the coming weeks – but Gov. Kathy Hochul defiantly said New York won’t comply.
New York “must cease the collection of tolls” by March 21, Department of Transportation head Gloria Shepherd wrote in a letter to city, state and MTA officials.
The letter was sent on Feb. 20 and made public Wednesday, just days after Gov. Kathy Hochul made a personal appeal to the president with a picture-heavy “booklet” highlighting the success of the tolling program.
The deadline only appears to be another page of the congestion pricing spat between Hochul and the Trump administration.
MTA officials vowed to continue collecting the $9 toll in Lower Manhattan until they see a court order.
Both Hochul and MTA honcho Janno Lieber responded to the deadline with defiance, reupping their vow to continue collecting the $9 toll in Lower Manhattan until they see a court order.
“The Trump Administration is once again trying to overrule New Yorkers,” Hochul wrote on X.
“They’re about to find out what happens when you piss off 6 million New York commuters.”
Lieber also doubled down that the MTA wouldn’t budge.
“We have an approval that is valid and in effect, and we’re not turning them off absent a court order,” Lieber said.
The deadline is the latest salvo in an increasingly nasty spat between Hochul and the Trump administration over congestion pricing – a fight that escalated last week when Transportation Secretary said he’d pull the toll program’s federal approval.
Shepherd’s letter arrived a day after Duffy’s own missive – and Trump prematurely declaring congestion pricing dead in a social media post that evoked the monarchy: “LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Despite Trump’s evident opposition, Hochul still tried to convince the president to reverse his stance when she met with him at the White House.
Hochul revealed during the MTA’s board meeting that she used a pro-congestion pricing picture book in their chat.
The Trump-friendly booklet drew laughs as Hochul proudly displayed it storytime-style at the MTA’s board meeting, praising its “big words” and “nice colors.”
“I said, ‘I want something that encapsulates, in real simple terms, real nice pictures, what we’re getting with congestion pricing,'” she said. “So, I was able to show this to the President behind his desk and talk about how beautiful it is.”
The Post requested a copy of the booklet, but hadn’t received one as of publication.
The picture book flashed by Hochul during the meeting included phrases clearly designed to flatter the hyperbole-prone Trump, such as “big, beautiful Penn Station.”
“Big words, nice colors,” Hochul said, as the audience giggled.
But the picture book gambit evidently failed – though Hochul said the “fight is not over.”
Lieber argued the positive results of congestion pricing are quickly becoming evident.
He said there have been 2.8 million fewer cars in the congestion relief zone since the program started.
Pedestrian traffic is up 4% in the congestion zone, with restaurant reservations up 7% and Broadway attendance growing 21%, he said.
“For all the Chicken Littles out there the economy in the congestion zone has been humming,” Lieber said.
Travel times by car are way down 44% through the Holland tunnel for New Jersey motorists during the peak morning rush hour, Lieber said.
Motorists using the Queensboro Bridge have seen their commutes shorten by 36%, while those traveling from Brooklyn saw 30% shorter drive, he said.
“The only people disappointed about the effects of congestion pricing are the fast food companies who, according to the New York Post, are getting fewer customers. Another win for health and safety,” he joked.
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