A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration does not have the authority to terminate New York's congestion pricing program — ending, for now, the president's year's-long campaign to quash the toll.
The federal Department of Transportation's legal authority to approve and establish tolling programs "does not carry with it the inherent unilateral ability of whoever holds the office of Secretary of the Transportation at any particular moment to terminate a project whether established by himself or a predecessor," Judge Lewis Liman wrote in 149-page ruling issued on Tuesday.
After years of delays during the first Trump term, the Biden administration approved the toll on vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street in 2024 under the auspices of the Value Pricing Pilot Program, a federal program created by Congress to authorize congestion-based tolls.
In two letters last year, Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to withhold federal funds for unspecified highway projects in Manhattan, and eventually the entire state of New York, if Gov. Hochul did not turn off the congestion pricing cameras.
Hochul and the MTA refused to obey Duffy's orders, suing the feds to keep the program operating. Liman, who also ruled in favor of the MTA's right to institute the tolls in the run-up to their launch in January 2025, blocked the Trump administration from enforcing Duffy's threats last May.
On Tuesday, Liman, who Trump appointed to the federal bench in 2019, came down squarely on the side of the Hochul and the MTA's power to keep the toll.
Buttigieg's agreement enabling the program gave "only" the MTA the authority to charge congestion pricing tolls, and not the federal government, the judge ruled.
Duffy may only terminate the tolling program according to the terms of the Biden administration's agreement with the MTA — which gave New York and New York alone control over the toll's fate, Liman said.
Congestion pricing "was the product of a democratic process," he wrote. "The democratic process worked."
The toll slashed the number of cars entering Manhattan's Central Business District while speeding up traffic and reducing pollution.
Hochul, who forcefully stood up to Trump after he tweeted "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD ... LONG LIVE THE KING!" in February 2025, declared victory after Liman's latest ruling.
"I have been clear from day one: my administration will fight any unlawful effort by the Trump administration to attack the sovereignty of New York State with everything we've got. Today, we won again," the governor said in a statement.
"The judge's decision is clear: Donald Trump's unlawful attempts to trample on the self-governance of his home state have failed spectacularly. Congestion pricing is legal, it works, and it is here to stay. The cameras are staying on."
Transit advocates also feted the ruling in favor of the tolls, which launched in 2025 after decades of advocacy.
"New York's congestion relief program today continues its uninterrupted winning streak on our streets and in the courts," Riders Alliances spokesman Danny Pearlstein said in a statement. "After more than a year of success, saving commuters time and raising money to fix the subway, Judge Liman's exacting decision stops a vengeful federal government from punishing working New Yorkers for such a resounding public policy victory."
U.S. DOT pushed back on the ruling in a statement provided to some media outlets, but not Streetsblog.
"Once again, working-class Americans are being sidelined under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s policies, which impose a massive tax on every New Yorker. These Green New Scam policies have made federally funded roads inaccessible to commuters without providing a toll-free alternative," the Trump administration statement reader. "We are reviewing all legal options — including an appeal — with the Justice Department. The Trump Administration will not stop fighting to make everyday life more affordable for American families."
— With Dave Colon
