The Trump administration said on Thursday that it is extending its Friday deadline by 30 days for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to turn off congestion pricing while negotiations with Gov. Kathy Hochul continue.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a Thursday social media post that the Trump administration is extending the deadline to continue talks with Hochul for some sort of compromise. Duffy reiterated his demand for New York to end the toll, which charges motorists entering Manhattan below 60th Street.
“Your refusal to end cordon pricing and your open disrespect towards the federal government is unacceptable,” Duffy wrote, using a technical word for the program. “Just as your high tolls and no free road option are a slap in the face to hard working Americans.”
The Trump administration last month sent a letter to the MTA directing transit officials to shut down the congestion pricing program by March 21. Hochul and MTA leadership have fiercely defended the toll and its early impact on reducing traffic and speeding up commutes.
New York state has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke federal approval for the program, and said it will not turn off congestion pricing unless directed by a federal judge to do so. That has not changed, said John McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, in a statement.
“The status quo remains, which means everyone can continue to expect less traffic, faster commutes, and safer streets in Manhattan,” said McCarthy. “As we’ve said, there was exhaustive study, projected benefits were right, and we can’t go back to gridlock.”
Hochul spokesman Avi Small echoed McCarthy’s comment.
“Traffic is down, business is up and support for this first-in-the-nation initiative continues to grow,” said Small. “We’ve seen Secretary Duffy’s tweet, which doesn’t change what Governor Hochul has been saying all along: the cameras are staying on.”
