CITYWIDE — JUDGE LEWIS LIMAN of Federal District Court in Manhattan on Tuesday ruled against the Trump administration’s attempt to end New York’s congestion pricing program, handing a victory to the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other plaintiffs in their lawsuit against Secretary of the Department of Transportation Sean Duffy and various federal agencies.
“We’ve said it all along, and Judge Liman’s clear, detailed ruling leaves no doubt: Congestion pricing is legal. It’s here to stay. And it works,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement immediately following the ruling. Lieber added, “Traffic is down, business is up, and we’re making crucial investments in a transit system that moves millions of people a day.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the congestion pricing program “has been a once-in-a-lifetime success story … The judge’s decision is clear: Donald Trump’s unlawful attempts to trample on the self-governance of his home state have failed spectacularly … The cameras are staying on.”
The Riders Alliance and the Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice, had filed a lawsuit joining the MTA as interveners. “The court confirmed today that Trump has no power to override the democratic process that brought us congestion pricing,” Dror Ladin, senior attorney at Earthjustice, said in a statement.
While the outcome is a major victory, the program still faces other lawsuits, according to The New York Times.
But for now, Lieber reveled in the moment: “Today — once again — Secretary Duffy failed and New York is winning,” he said.
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