Congestion pricing will likely remain in the heart of Manhattan until the fall under an agreement struck between the Trump administration and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — before a federal judge then ultimately decides the controversial toll’s fate, according to court documents.
The revelation came Monday after the deal was conveyed to Judge Lewis Liman Friday — the same day US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy rode the beleaguered city subway system with Mayor Eric Adams and ripped the MTA for its high spending.
The schedule laid out in a letter by the MTA to the judge would prevent a decision on the case until at least the middle of summer, but would give way for both sides to submit further motions that would likely drag the legal battle into October, the docs shows.
The Department of Transportation also told the MTA it did not plan on seeking an injunction that would stop the program – at least temporarily – before the judge makes a ruling, the legal papers said.
The tolling program began in early January, but now hangs in the balance after President Trump said he wanted to yank federal approval in February, setting up a court fight between the transit authority and federal government.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she intends to keep the program active as the court fight plays out.
Federal officials have called on New York state to kill congestion pricing, though last month Duffy extended a deadline for the program to stop by April 20.
The transportation chief hasn’t been shy about blasting the state and MTA over the last few months.
When Duffy visited the Big Apple last week, he slammed the MTA for wasteful spending and took a shot at the $9 tolls for drivers that enter below 60th Street.
Emails to the governor’s office and MTA were not immediately returned Monday night.159
The DOT didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
While the proposed timeline in the legal case allows New York to keep charging drivers, the Trump administration could pressure the state to scrap the program by withholding federal funds.