New York City-area Republicans are calling on President Trump to kill the congestion-pricing plan in midtown Manhattan “once and for all” as a battle over the controversial program winds its way through court.
House Republican Leadership Chair Elise Stefanik and Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, and five other Republicans, sent a letter of support to Mr. Trump on Monday. They want to shore up political momentum behind Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who moved to cancel the program in February because it offered no toll-free option for drivers and was engineered to direct money to fund public transit.
“While the fight is not yet over to put this scheme to bed once and for all, just know the people of New York and New Jersey stand behind you,” the lawmakers wrote to Mr. Trump and Mr. Duffy.
The congestion pricing program charges a toll on vehicles entering busy parts of Manhattan. It was launched at the start of the year after a series of delays.
Yet Mr. Trump linked arms with suburban leaders who said it punished drivers from surrounding areas.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social in February.
But New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority challenged the move in court. Ending the toll would force the authority, it said, to find another way to raise $1 billion a year for its transportation plans.
They celebrated a preliminary injunction in late May, which blocked Mr. Duffy from following through on threats to withdraw federal funding for local projects in New York.
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman said New York officials had shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their case against the Trump administration.
City officials said the plan was working as intended, citing improved travel times and decreased congestion in parts of Manhattan that used to be a slow-moving slog.
“Congestion pricing isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving. We’re pleased that Judge Liman has put a stop to threats by Washington intended to deprive New Yorkers of the benefits of the program — less traffic, safer streets, cleaner air, and better transit,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
Michael Gerrard, a professor at Columbia Law School who is tracking the issue, says the plan is “up and running and so far it has survived all of the many court challenges.”
“The [Biden administration] DOT had approved it and there was no strong reason to stop it,” he said. “The program has been working very well, it has reduced congestion in the city, it has sped up bus trips. It has increased money for public transit.”
But Ms. Stefanik, Mr. LaLota and other lawmakers said city leaders are trying to force drivers onto a public transit system that is dangerous and ill-equipped to serve commuters.
“The fact that Governor Hochul believes forcing commuters off the roads and into a subway system riddled with crime is a great idea is entirely out of touch with reality,” the lawmakers wrote, highlighting an increase in assaults on the subway and notable crimes. “When riders are being pushed in front of oncoming train cars and burned alive, it is delusional to think that forcing commuters to ride the subway is the right idea.”
Mr. Duffy objected, in particular, to the program’s toll amount, which was set based on what’s needed to fund public transit rather than a congestion-reducing target.
His department moved to rescind a Nov. 21 agreement under the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP) that authorized the $9 toll on vehicles that traveled below 60th Street in Manhattan.
Republican Reps. Andrew R. Garbarino, Nicole Malliotakis, Nicholas A. Langworthy and Michael V. Lawler of New York and Thomas Kean Jr. of New Jersey also signed the letter of support to Mr. Trump.
“Congestion pricing would unfairly target suburban New York and New Jersey, as well as the residents of some of the lowest-income neighborhoods, who depend on their vehicles for their livelihoods,” they wrote. “Rather than addressing the MTA’s multi-billion-dollar budget deficit to improve the public transit system, Governor Hochul believes she can forgo fiscal responsibility for a quick cash grab. By seeking to eliminate this plan, you have upheld your promise to the American people: that you will fight for us and win for us.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.