Trump Ends Hochul’s Manhattan Toll Plan, Legal Battle Begins

New York’s controversial congestion pricing program is officially dead after President Donald Trump’s administration reversed a decision that allowed tolls on highways funded by taxpayers. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who championed the plan, is furious and has already filed a lawsuit to fight the decision.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to Hochul outlining the administration’s reasoning, stating that the program unfairly charged everyday New Yorkers and small businesses who rely on their vehicles to work. The plan, which had gone into effect in early January, forced drivers to pay $9 to enter Manhattan’s busiest areas.

Critics blasted the tolls as a blatant cash grab that did nothing to improve road conditions or reduce traffic. Business owners warned that the fees were making it harder for them to operate, while commuters argued that they were being punished for not using public transportation.

Trump took to Truth Social to announce the move, declaring, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD… LONG LIVE THE KING!” Hochul responded by attacking Trump’s remark, saying, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king.” She later announced legal action to reinstate the tolls, arguing they were necessary to fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The Biden administration had previously allowed Hochul’s tolling plan by waiving federal rules that typically ban tolls on roads built with taxpayer money. Trump’s team reversed that decision, stating that the congestion pricing scheme violated longstanding policies meant to protect commuters from being charged twice for the same roads.

For now, New Yorkers are free from the extra fees, but the battle over congestion pricing is expected to play out in court in the coming months.

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