Sean Duffy took the reins at the U.S. Department of Transportation late Tuesday. His first action? To begin the process of scrapping the Biden administration's fuel efficiency standards for new automobiles.
The Biden standards were designed in part to push the auto industry to make more electric vehicles — opposition to which has become a right-wing shibboleth. In a statement, Duffy said the standards "have needlessly driven up the cost of a car in order to push a radical Green New Deal agenda."
"The American people should not be forced to sacrifice choice and affordability when purchasing a new car," Duffy said — conveniently ignoring the inconvenience of having to spend money on gas to keep those cars running.
Of course, as Streetsblog USA Editor Kea Wilson pointed out on X, it's not cars hitting Americans' pocketbooks but car dependency. Many Americans have no choice but to drive, thanks to more than a century of short-sighted investments in highways and roads that make it impossible to get around any other way (a policy that Duffy will only bolster. "Cleaner" cars alone will do nothing to make transportation more cost-efficient.
Unscathed so far by the Trump-Duffy DOT are crucial Biden policies like the FHWA's backing of congestion pricing and the revamp of road design standards that prevent sensible pedestrian and bike-friendly street redesigns for years. And Trump's abrupt, alleged reversal of his bone-headed federal spending freeze leaves U.S. DOT grants unscathed (for now).
This is no way to run a government — but you knew that.
In other news:
- Speaking of congestion pricing, the MTA shared more stats on Wednesday about the tolling program's impact on Manhattan traffic — so far, so good. You can read their full presentation here. (Gothamist, Daily News, NBC4, ABC7, PIX11, amNY, Reuters)
- More good news: After more than five years of planning and community input, the Queens bus network redesign is finally happening. (Donovan Richards via X, amNY)
- Trump is reportedly discussing dropping the corruption charges against Mayor Adams, who plans to resume public events after several days in hiding with a mystery illness. Hizzoner's lawyer, meanwhile, has denied that the mayor has any plans to resign — while suggesting to the Trump administration that Adams would go easy on them if the feds cut him loose. (NY Times, Daily News, NY Post, Politico)
- Fare evasion is finally trending downwards, the MTA reported, Gothamist reported, which prompted Komanoff to tweet a colorful image:
- "Flail" Murphy's latest anti-congestion pricing salvo is an ad that complains ... about the amount of time New Jersey drivers spend in Manhattan traffic? Which has dropped significantly since congestion pricing launched? Come on. (NY Post)
- Council Member Vickie Paladino is unrepentant after suggesting on X that yours truly be assaulted. For the record, Vickie, we're not *all* Marxists. (Queens Daily Eagle)
